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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DiRECTOB 

Water-Supply Paper 223 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF 
SOUTHERN MAINE 

BY 

FREDERICK G. CLAPP 

WITH 

RECORDS OF DEEP WELLS 

BY 

W. S. BAYLEY 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1909 




Monoera|)ti 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director 



Water-Supply Paper 223 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF 
SOUTHERN MAINE 



BY 



FREDERICK G. CLAPP 



WITH 



RECORDS OF DEEP WELLS 



BY 



W. S. BAYLEY 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1909 



2.L .4^ 



<? 



ft AY 4 1909 

D« or 0» 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Introduction 13 

Location and area 13 

Character of report 13 

Need of investigation 15 

Sources of information 15 

Previous literature 15 

Correspondence 15 

Field work 16 

Acknowledgments 16 

Results of investigation 17 

Settlement and development as related to water utilization 17 

Surface features 18 

General statement 18 

Principal surface features of southern Maine 19 

Drainage 19 

General description '. 19 

Detailed descriptions 19 

Saco River system '. .'. : 20 

Presumpscot River system 20 

Androscoggin River system 20 

Kennebec River system 20 

Penobscot River system 20 

St. Croix River system 21 

Coastal streams 21 

Relation of climate to underground-water conditions 21 

Underground waters , 23 

Source of underground waters 23 

Rainfall 23 

Evaporation 23 

Run-off 23 

Absorption 23 

Mode of occurrence 24 

Amount of ground water 24 

General statement 24 

Amount of absorption 24 

Upper and lower limits 25 

Total amount of ground water 25 

Ultimate disposition of ground water 26 

Temperature of underground waters 26 

Quality of underground waters 27 

General statement 27 

Source of mineral matter 27 

Normal chlorine lines 27 

3 



4 CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Water-bcarinj:^ rocks of Maine 28 

Principal types 28 

General statement 28 

Relation to underground waters 28 

Detailed descriptions 29 

Granite and gneiss 29 

Description 29 

Distribution 29 

Relation to other rocks 29 

Joint cracks .^ 29« 

Structural relations of granite 30 

Water supplies 31 

Quality of water 32 

Slate and schist 32 

Description 32 

Distribution 32 

Relation to other rocks 32 

Stratification, cleavage, and fissility 33 

Joint cracks 33 

Water supplies 33 

Quality of water 35 

Limestone 35 

Character and distribution 35 

Solution cavities and channels 36 

Water supplies 36 

Volcanic and other igneous rocks 36 

Character and distribution 36 

Water supplies 37 

Quality of water 37 

Unmetamorphosed sedimentary rocks 37 

Areas of complex 38 

Character and distribution 38 

Water supplies 38 

Surface deposits of southern Maine 38 

Principal types 38 

Detailed descriptions 39 

Bowlder clay, or till 39 

Character and distribution 39 

Water supplies 40 

Sand and gravel 40 

Character and distribution 40 

Relation to other deposits 40 

Water supplies 41 

Clay 41 

Character and distribution 41 

Relation to other deposits 42 

Water supplies 42 

Outline of geologic history 42 

Recovery of underground water 43 

General statement 43 

Springs 44 

Classification and emergence 44 

Number and importance in Maine 44 



COKTENTS. 5 

Recovery of underground water — Continued. Page. 
Springs — Continued. 

Information previously published 45 

Commercial springs 45 

Origin of spring waters 47 

Curative properties of spring waters 47 

Collecting galleries and tunnels 48 

Wells 48 

General types * 48 

Open wells 48 

Tubular wells 48 

Connected wells 48 

Combination wells 49 

Methods of obtaining well water 49 

Pumping 49 

Artesian wells 49 

Location of wells 51 

Factors to be considered 51 

Position of the water table 51. 

Accessibility and convenience 51 

Points of most abundant water 51 

Direction of movement of ground water 52 

Sources of possible pollution 52 

Location of deep wells 53 

Choice of a type of well 53 

Factors to be considered 53 

Amount of water obtained by different types 53 

Safety of different types 54 

Types in use in Maine 54 

Depth of well 55 

Object of deep wells 55 

Relation of adequate supplies to depth of well 55 

Erroneous beliefs 55 

Limiting depth of abundant water 55 

Conditions of greater abundance at depths 56 

Conditions of greater abundance near surface 56 

Relation of head to depth of well 56 

Relation of purity of water to depth of well 57 

Depth of wells in southern Maine 57 

Depth to principal water supply 57 

Diameter of well 59 

Uncertainty of results 59 

Proportion of successful wells 60 

Capacity of wells 62 

Increase in yield 62 

Decrease in yield 62 

Intereff ect of wells 63 

Uses of underground water 63 

Cost of well drilling 64 

Notes on well drilling in Maine " 65 

General statement 65 

Relation to kind of rock 65 

Speed of drilling 65 

Effect of joint cracks 65 



b CONTENTS. 

Xotes on well drilling in Maine — Continued. Page. 

leasing for drilled wells -. 66 

Methods of casing 66 

Kind of casing 66 

Injury to wells by sea water 67 

Shooting wells 68 

Date of drilling 68 

Public supplies 69 

General statement 69 

Classification of sources 69 

Ownership of public water systems 69 

History 70 

Comparative use of various sources 70 

Relative merits of sources 71 

Communities using well supplies 71 

Communities using spring supplies 72 

Communities using surface supplies 73 

Composition of the underground waters 75 

General explanations 75 

Classes of analyses 75 

Recomputation of analyses 76 

Omission of sanitary analyses 76 

Details 76 

Tables 76 

Total solids 88 

Organic and volatile matter 88 

Silica 88 

Iron and aluminum oxides 88 

Iron 89 

Calcium 89 

Magnesium 89 

Sodium 90 

Potassium 90 

Bicarbonate radicle 90 

Carbonate radicle 90 

Sulphate radicle *91 

Chlorine 91 

Hardness 91 

Lithium 91 

Other substances 92 

Description of underground waters by counties 92 

Androscoggin County 92 

General description 92 

Underground waters 92 

Relation to rocks and surface deposits 92 

Distribution of rock types 92 

Surface deposits 92 

Wells 93 

General description 93 

Types of wells 93 

Drilled wells 93 

Quality of water 93 

Uses 94 

Detailed description 94 



CONTENTS. 7 

Description of underground waters by counties — Continued. Page. 
Androscoggin County — Continued. 

Springs 96 

Public supplies 103 

Cumberland County 104 

General description 104 

Underground waters 104 

Relation to rocks and surface deposits 104 

Character and distribution of rock types 104 

Surface deposits 106 

Buried valleys 107 

Wells ' 108 

General description 108 

T>^es of wells used 108 

Drilled wells 108 

Quantity of water 108 

Quality of water 109 

Uses 109 

Flowing wells 109 

Detailed descriptions 109 

Springs 119 

Public supplies 121 

Predictions and recommendations 124 

Southern Franklin County 126 

General description 126 

Underground waters 127 

Relation to rocks and surface deposits 127 

Distribution of rock types 127 

Surface deposits 127 

Wells - 128 

General description 128 

Detailed description 128 

Springs 128 

Public supplies 130 

Predictions and recommendations 131 

Hancock County 131 

General description 131 

Underground waters 132 

Relation to rocks and surface deposits 132 

Distribution or rock types 132 

Surface deposits 133 

Wells 133 

General description 133 

Types of wells used 133 

Drilled wells 133 

Quality of water 134 

Quantity of water 135 

Uses 135 

Flowing wells 135 

Detailed descriptions 135 

Springs 145 

Public supplies 147 

Predictions and recommendations 149 



8 CONTENTS. 

Description of undergi-ouiid waters by counties — Continued. Page. 

Kennebec County 150 

General description 150 

Underground waters 151 

Relation to rocks and surface deposits 151 

Distribution of rock types 151 

Structural relation of the rocks 151 

Surface deposits 151 

Wells 151 

General description 151 

Types of wells used 151 

Drilled wells 151 

Quality of water 152 

Detailed descriptions 152 

Springs 156 

Public supplies 157 

Predictions and recommendations 158 

EJnox County 159 

General description 159 

Underground waters 159 

Relation to rocks and surface deposits 159 

Distribution of rock t^-pes 159 

Surface deposits 159 

Wells 160 

General description 160 

Tj-pes of wells used 160 

Drilled wells .160 

Quality of water 160 

Detailed descriptions 160 

Springs 165 

Public supplies 166 

Predictions and recommendations 167 

Lincoln County 167 

General description 167 

Underground waters 168 

Relation to rocks and surface deposits 168 

Distribution of rock types ■ 168 

Character of rocks 168 

Surface deposits 168 

Wells 169 

General description 169 

Detailed descriptions 169 

Springs 175 

Public supplies 176 

Predictions and recommendations 176 

Southern Oxford County 176 

General description 176 

Underground watei-s 177 

Relation to rocks and sm'face deposits 177 

Distribution of rock t\'pes 177 

Structure and relations of rocks 177 

Surface deposits 178 



CONTENTS. 9 

Description of undergroimd waters by counties — Continued. Page. 
Southern Oxford County — Continued. 
Undergi'ound waters — Continued. 

Wells 178 

General description 178 

Types of wells used 178 

Drilled wells 178 

Quality of water 178 

Detailed descriptions 178 

Springs 180 

Public supplies 183 

Southern Penobscot County 186 

General description 186 

Underground waters 186 

Relation to rocks and surface deposits 186 

Character and distribution of rocks .■ . 186 

Sui'face deposits 187 

Wells 187 

General description 187 

Types of wells used 187 

Drilled wells 188 

Quality of water 188 

Detailed descriptions 188 

Springs .* 194 

Public supplies 196 

Predictions and recommendations 196 

Sagadahoc County 197 

General description 197 

Underground waters 197 

Relation to rocks and sm'face deposits 197 

Distribution of rock types 197 

Surface deposits 198 

Wells 198 

General description 198 

Detailed descriptions 199 

Springs 200 

Public supplies 202 

Southern Somerset County 202 

General description 202 

Underground waters 202 

Relation to rocks and surface deposits 202 

Distribution of rock types 202 

Surface deposits 203 

Wells 203 

General description 203 

Types of wells used 203 

• Drilled wells 203 

Quality of water • 204 

Quantity of water 204 

Flowing wells 204 

Detailed descriptions 204 

Springs 206 

Public supplies 209 

Predictions and recommendations 210 



10 CONTENTS. 

Doscription of iinderg^'oiind waters by counties — Continued. Page. 

Waldo County 210 

General description 210 

Underground waters 210 

Relation to rocks and surface deposits 210 

Distribution of rock types 210 

Surface deposits 211 

Wells 211 

General description 211 

Types of wells used 211 

Drilled wells 211 

Quality of water 212 

Quantity of water 212 

Flowing wells 212 

Detailed descriptions 212 

Springs 216 

Public supplies 216 

Predictions and recommendations 217 

Southern Washington County 218 

General description 218 

Underground waters 219 

Relation to rocks and surface deposits 219 

Distribution of rock types 219 

Surface deposits 219 

Wells 219 

General description 219 

Detailed descriptions 220 

Springs 223 

Public supplies 224 

Predictions and recommendations 227 

York County 228 

General description 228 

Underground waters 228 

Relation to rocks and surface deposits 228 

Distribution of rock types 228 

Surface deposits 229 

Wells 229 

General description 229 

Types of wells used 229 

Drilled wells 229 

Quantity of water 229 

Quality of water 230 

Detailed descriptions 230 

Springs 234 

Public supplies 236 

Records of deep wells in southern Maine, by W. S. Bayley 238 

Index 259 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



/ Page. 

Plate I. Map showing known distribution of rocks in southern Maine 28 

Ilif A, Zone of nearly vertical joint cracks in granite quarry; B, Con- 
centric weathering in diorite at Pleasant River granite quarries, 

,, Dalot\alle 30 

III.' A, Section of granite quarry, Jonesboro; B, View in Crabtree & 

Havey's granite quarry, North Sullivan 32 

IV.' Diagram illustrating relative composition of granite waters 32 

Vy A, Outcrop of slate in railroad cut, Kittery Junction; B, Com- 

, pleted well of Crabtree & Havey, North Sullivan 34 

VI. Diagram illustrating chemical composition of water from slate 36 

Vllr' A, Outcrop of slate below till in railroad cut, Kittery Junction; B, 

,-- Small cave and solution channels in limestone, Rockland 36 

VIII. Diagram illustrating relative composition of waters in areas of com- 
plex, trap, and greenstone 38 

IX. Protected and unprotected wells: A, Well at county jail, Wis- 

casset ; B, Well at Heron Island 52 

Xi A, Slaty rock along the coast, Christmas Cove; B, Outcrop of rock 

along coast. Fortune Rock, Biddeford G6 

XI; Water map of Androscoggin County 92 

X1T{ Water map of Cumberland County 104 

Xlllf' Water map of southern Franklin County 126 

XlV/Water map of Hancock County 132 

XV; Water map of Kennebec County 150 

XVIy Water map of Knox County 160 

XVII, Water map of Lincoln County 168 

XVIII, Water map of southern Oxford County 176 

XIX., Water map of southern Penobscot County 186 

XX. Water map of Sagadahoc County 198 

XXI, Water map of southern Somerset County 202 

XXII, Water map of Waldo County 210 

XXIII. Water map of southern Washington County 218 

XXIV; Water map of York County 228 

Figure 1. Index map, showing area described in this report 14 

2. Diagram showing relation of ground water to outcrop and bed rock. 25 

3. Diagram showing conditions under which flowing wells are com- 

monly obtained in favorable regions 49 

4. Diagram showing various conditions in drilled wells in Maine 50 

11 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 



By Frederick G. Clapp. 



INTRODUCTION. 

LOCATION AND AREA. 

The area covered by this report is roughly triangular and includes 
all of southern Maine, from the coast northward beyond Calais, Old- 
town, Skowhegan, and Rangeley. Its northern boundary may be 
said to follow very nearly the line of the forty-fifth parallel, but a few 
towns situated a short distance north of the line have, for special 
reasons, been included in the discussion. Fig. 1 shows the relation 
of this area to the rest of the State. Its greatest extent east and west 
is 210 miles, and north and south, along the New Hampshire line, 
about 130 miles. 

. CHARACTER OF REPORT. 

It was originally intended that the entire State should be covered 
by a single report, but field investigations showed that the subject 
was much broader than at first supposed. Although there are large 
a'reas which are settled either sparsely or not at all, where little infor- 
mation regarding underground waters can be obtained and little is 
yet needed, there are wide areas where the water problem is very 
important and extensive well drilling is going on. This is true of 
the summer-resort regions, and of the great farming region covering 
the larger part of Aroostook County. It was found impracticable, 
therefore, to include the entire State in a single report, and it was 
decided to confine this report to the region south of the forty-fifth 
parallel, and to cover the northern part of the State by a special 
investigation." 

In order to meet the needs of all classes of readers the report is so 
subdivided as first to describe the general water resources of the 
region, the dependence of quality and quantity on character of rocks, 

o The report for the northern part of the State is in preparation. 

as 



14 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 



the location and type of wells, etc., and then to discuss in detail the 
conditions in the various counties, for the benefit of persons needing 




Fig. 1.— Index map showing area described in this report; also mean annual temperature and mean annual 

rainfall for Maine. 

local information. The table of deep wells, compiled by Professor 
Bayley, is appended for the benefit of persons desiring to drill wells. 



INTRODUCTION. 15 

NEED OF INVESTIGATION. 

The available knowledge regarding the underground-water re- 
sources of Maine has heretofore been rather scant. Surface waters and 
open wells have been largely used, and where deep wells have been 
resorted to they have been drilled at random, without a scientific 
forecast of the amount or the quality of the water available at that 
particular point or with that particular type of well. People are now 
beginning to reahze that well drilling, like other prospecting, in order 
to be economical to the owners and drillers, must be conducted in 
accordance with certain scientific rules, which point out the source, 
depth, amount, and quality of water in different types of rock and 
different localities. Hence a comprehensive investigation is neces- 
sarv" throughout the State. 

The Geological Survey frequently gets requests for information 
regarding the occurrence or the quality of water in certain towns. 
In sections of the State where water is scarce, as on the islands and 
along the coast, especially in the summer-resort region, it is necessary 
that people should be informed whether it is possible to obtain water 
by drilling, and if so, at what depth it may be procured. Many towns 
in the State are searching for a public supply, and some towns have 
poor supplies and wish to improve them. This report aims to help 
in solving such problems. Another object in view is the securing of 
proper well construction. In some parts of the State and by some 
drillers the most modern methods of drilling and casing wells are 
used ; elsewhere, however, and by other drillers, wells are improperly 
constructed and some are dangerous to the public health. A com- 
parison of the various methods of construction ought to teach valuable 
lessons. 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION. 

Previous literature. — The first lists of deep wells and springs in 
Maine were published in 1904." A few additional wells were recorded 
in 1905.^ A brief account of the underground-water -conditions, 
with lists of important springs, was also given in lO'^''^,^ and in the 
same year the conditions in the Kittery-York dist^' .l the extreme 
southwest corner of the State, were described. "^ snort paper in the 
same report described a possible water sn^ ' irom glacial gravels in 
the vicinity of Augusta.^ 

Correspondence. — Much of the data contained in the first three of 
the above-mentioned reports was gathered by correspondence, but 
whenever records could subsequently be obtained in the field they 

a Bayley, W. S., Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 102, pp. 27-47. 
b Darton N. H., Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 149, p. 63. 
c Bayley, W. S., Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 114, pp. 41-56. 
d Smith, G. O., Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 145, pp. 120-128. 
e Smith, G. O., op. cit., pp. 156-160. 



16 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

were julded to the list. In obtaining records blanks were sent out 
containing questions to be answered by well o\\TLers or drillers. 
Considerable information regarding mineral springs has also been 
obtained by correspondence since the field work was finished. 

Field work. — The field work for the present report was done during 
four months in the summer of 1906. The author was assisted by 
George C. ^latson and B. L. Jolmson, and many of the data here given 
are taken from their notes. It was impossible to visit every town, 
but all the larger places and those localities which present special 
problems were visited, and the conditions of occurrence and the 
quality of well and spring waters were investigated. All public 
water supplies from underground sources were seen, the important 
mineral springs were visited, and interviews were held with profes- 
sional well drillers in order to get authoritative information regard- 
ing conditions of drilling. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 

The accuracy and completeness of this report have necessarily been 
dependent to a considerable extent upon the work of other persons 
besides the author. George C. Matson and B. L. Johnson have 
assisted in both field and office work. A number of years ago Prof. 
W. S. Baj'ley was requested to prepare a table of deep-well records 
of Maine, which were obtained b}^ correspondence extending over a 
considerable period of time. These records as submitted by Pro- 
fessor Bayley contained some additional descriptive matter, which 
has been added to this report. The table has been revised and 
brought up to September, 1906, and appears on pages 242-259. 
Several pages of the report, bearing on occurrence and methods of 
obtaining water in general, have been compiled from notes furnished 
by M. L. Fuller. Some of the geologic descriptions are taken from 
reports by George Otis Smith and E. S. Bastin. A large number of 
the chemical analyses were made by Prof. F. C. Robinson, the samples 
being collected by A. C. Robinson. Analyses made by other chemists 
which were not originally expressed according to the uniform system 
adopted by the United States Geological Survey for use in its publi- 
cations were submitted to R. B. Dole, of the Survey, for recomputa- 
tion. C. E. Shute, C. H. Scribner, Fred Foster, Lester Maxwell, and 
the Poland Brothers, all prominent well drillers, have taken an interest 
in the investigation and furnished much valuable information. Other 
drillers have assisted in gathering data. 

A comprehensive report on water supplies is manifestly impossible 
^v'ithout the assistance of persons in the region which is to be benefited 
by the report, and in compiling the facts here presented it has been 
necessar}' to interview hundreds of residents of the State and to 



SETTLEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT. 17 

correspond with several hundred more. To all who have assisted, 
directly or indirectly, the author mshes to express his thanks. In 
furnishing information to the Survey they have performed a valu- 
able public service. 

RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION. 

The investigations thus far conducted in Maine have shown that 
there is an abundance of water beneath the surface in granite, slate, 
and other rocks, but as the water occurs in crevices which are not 
regularly distributed through the rocks, the amount which ^vill be 
found at any given location or depth is uncertain and can never be 
definitely predicted. Water in the rocks is usually of good quality, 
but in some districts it has a large mineral content. Water in surface 
deposits is generally abundant except in dry weather, but the quality 
can not be depended upon. It has been found that drilled wells are 
the most satisfactory and that dug wells and combinations of dug and 
drilled wells are to be avoided, especially in villages. Most of the 
commercial mineral springs of the State are safely situated, and their 
water is of excellent quality. Only a few springs were seen which 
should be condemned. The public water supplies are mostly satis- 
factory, but in a few of them, owned by private parties or corpora- 
tions, the water is badly polluted. In such cases the abandonment 
of present sources is recommended. No special investigation of sur- 
face supplies was made, but it is kno^vn that some of these are not 
satisfactory and that changes should be made. 

SETTLEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AS RELATED TO 

WATER UTILIZATION. 

With the exception of Florida, Maine is the least densely populated 
of all the Eastern vStates (23.2 per square mile). Because of this 
fact and the abundance of lakes and streams, its people have until 
recently felt little necessity for seeking sources of water supply below 
the surface. Consequently the underground waters of the State 
have been, on the whole, but sHghtly utilized, except in certain 
restricted areas, where for one reason or another the surface waters 
have not been suitable for domestic or manufacturing purposes. 

Until very recently the rivers and lakes have afforded excellent 
water for nearly all purposes. With the increase in the number of fac- 
tories estabHshed on the main waterways the rivers have become less 
and less valuable as sources of water supph', partly because of the 
waste products poured into them from the factories and partly 
because of the increased amount of sewage which they must carry in 
consequence of the growth of the manufacturing communities on 
their banks. 

59969— iRR 223—09 2 



18 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

The drift of the population toward centers is well shown by the 
census of 1900. The number of cities and villages separately enu- 
merated in this year was 43, as against 25 in 1890, and their popu- 
lation was 258,431, as against 184,821 in 1890, or 37.2 per cent of the 
total population in 1900, as against 28 per cent in 1890. 

The natural result of the two tendencies above mentioned has been 
pollution of the principal watercourses, with the consequence that 
communities drawing their public supplies from streams are begin- 
ning to complain of the quality of the water furnished them and are 
turning toward lakes or wells for relief. 

Along the coast, where the larger rivers are tidal, communities 
are dependent on lakes and small brooks for their public supplies. 
On the islands the principal sources of drinkable water are springs 
and drilled wells, but as there are only a few island settlements of 
any considerable size the question of large public supplies for the 
islands is not of great moment. The rapid growth of summer-resort 
communities has brought about a demand for information regarding 
deep-well prospects in such places. In the interior of the State many 
villages that are not situated near large laKes or spring-fed brooks 
have taken advantage of the good springs and have obtained through 
pipes a supply of spring water. 

SURFACE FEATURES. 

GENERAL STATEMENT. 

Water is found in some amount in all formations below the earth's 
surface from the loosest and most porous sands and gravels to the 
hardest slate and granite. The amount varies from the merest trace 
chemically combined in the molecules of the rocks to immense reser- 
voirs which supply wells flowing hundreds of gallons per minute. 
Some waters are so pure that a refined chemical analysis shows only 
minute traces of organic and mineral matter; others are so heavily 
charged with minerals or other impurities as to be unsuitable for use. 

The slope of the surface at any point is one factor determining the 
amount of water absorbed by the ground. The direction and amount 
of slope also determine the form of the water table — that is, of the 
upper limit of saturation. Except where the surface is flat the water 
table is generally not parallel mth the surface; it is almost invariably 
farthest from the surface on the summits of hills and mountains and 
nearest to it in valleys and along the coast, reaching the surface in 
swamps and along rivers, lakes, and beaches. The surface of the 
water table is always in motion, its higher portions flowdng toward 
the lowest outlets along rivers or the sea. This direction of flow 
explains why fresh water is usually found when a well is dug in a 
sandy beach. 



DRAINAGE. 19 

PRINCIPAL SURFACE FEATURES OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Altitudes in Maine range from sea level to about 5,200 feet, the 
liio-hest summit being Mount Katahdin. In some of the central 
portions of the State the land is very mountainous, but m parts of 
Aroostook County it is nearly flat. The surface may be said to con- 
sist essentially of an extensive southward-facing slope draining di- 
rectly into the Atlantic Ocean and a smaller northward-facing slope 
draining into St. John River. The latter area is a great plain with 
numerous swamps, above which rise a few hills. The surface of the 
southern slope is much more broken. Its western portion is crossed 
by ridges of low mountains trending east or northeast, some of which 
rise several thousand feet above the surrounding country. These 
are separated by wide areas of plain, on which are many small liills 
and ridges. Near the coast much of the surface is rough. Rocky 
rido-es and low, bare hills stretch from the shore line some miles in- 
land, but few of these hills are lofty and the valleys between them 
are not deep. The coast is in most places rocky, but at some points 
there are sandy beaches, several of which are among the finest in 

the country. 

DRAINAGE. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

No other tract of country of the same extent on the continent is 
so well watered as Maine. The State contains five principal lake 
systems — that is, large lakes connected by rivers and discharging into 
main channels which convey their accumulated waters to the ocean. 

These systems are, beginning on the western boundary, (1) the Umbagog-Rangeley 
series, with an area of 90 or more square miles, drained by Androscoggin River; (2) the 
Moosehead series, forming the headwaters of Kennebec River, the main lake of which 
is 120 square miles in area and is the largest inland body of water in New England; 
(3) the Penobscot series, consisting of Chesuncook and its surronding lakes on the 
West Branch of the Penobscot; AUeguash, Chamberlain, and others on the East 
Branch, and the Seboeis and others connected with it still farther east but flowing into 
the East Branch of the Penobscot; (4) the Schoodic Lakes, in the southeastern part of 
the State, drained by St. Croix River; and (5) the many lakes forming the headwaters 
of St. John River and its tributaries. There are many other lakes in every county, 
which, though of small area, in the aggregate hold an immense amount of storage 
water and add much to the importance of the lake systems of the State. The total 
number of lakes, not including small ponds tributary to the rivers, is 1,620, and their 
total area 2,300 square miles, making one lake to each 20 square miles of territory and 
one square mile of lake surface to each 14.3 square miles of land surface. « 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

The main drainage systems within the area covered by this report 
are described below, the descriptions being taken from the paper by 
Pressey just cited. 



a Pressey, H. A., Water powers of the State of Maine: Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 
69, 1902, p. 16. 



20 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Saco Biver system. — Saco River rises in the TMiite Mountain region of New Hamp- 
shire at an elevation of about 1,900 feet above the sea, and has a general southeasterly 
course to the Atlantic Ocean. The greatest Jength of the basin from Mount Washing- 
ton to the sea is about 75 miles; the greatest width about 30 miles. The total drainage 
area is 1,750 square miles, about equally divided between ]\Iaine and New Hampshire. 
The general elevation of the basin is greater than that of any of the larger streams of 
Maine except the Androscoggin. The headwaters are in one of the highest and roughest 
mountain regions in the eastern part of the United States, with steep, wooded slopes 
and narrow river valleys and with hea\'>^ falls to the mountain streams. The moun- 
tains grow gradually lower, however, as the ocean is approached, becoming undulating 
hills in the central part of the basin and comparatively flat land near the sea. The 
northern part of the basin is still largely wooded, while in the southern part practi- 
cally all of the forests have been cut, so that more than half the entire basin has been 
cleared . 

Presumpscot Eirei' system. — This is one of the most interesting as well as one of the 
best water-power streams of its size in the United States. It is the outlet of Sebago 
Lake, which lies about 17 miles northwest of Portland. The lake is fed by Crooked 
, River, a stream heading 35 miles farther north and within 3 miles of the Androscoggin. 
The area of the lake is 50 square miles, the area of its drainage basin at the outlet of 
the lake is 470 square miles, and the total drainage area of the river at its mouth is 700 
square miles. The northern part of the basin is mountainous and wooded, while the 
southern part is moderately hilly and cleared of trees. 

Androscoggin River system. — The Androscoggin River is formed by the junction of 
Magalloway River and the outlet of the Umbagog-Rangeley lakes near the Maine- 
Xew Hampshire boundary line. For about 35 miles it flows southward into the State 
of New Hampshire, then turns abruptly to the east and flows into the State of Maine, 
then turns to the south and joins the Kennebec in Merrymeeting Bay. The total 
drainage area above Brunswick, where is the last fall, is 3,700 square miles, about 80 
per cent of which is in Maine. The greatest length of the basin is 110 miles, the great- 
est width 70 miles, while the river itself measures about 200 miles in length from the 
sources of Magalloway River to the coast. * * * The lower part of the basin is 
hilly and moderately wooded, while the upper two- thirds is ver\' broken and moun- 
tainous and hea\dly timbered. 

Kennebec River system. — The Kennebec River basin lies between those of the Andros- 
coggin and the Penobscot, and extends from the Canada line to the ocean. The basin 
measures 150 miles in length and varies in width from 50 to 80 miles in the main por- 
tion, embracing a total area of 6,330 square miles. Of this area 1,250 square miles 
are tributary to Moosehead Lake. The general elevation is less than that of the 
Androscoggin basin, though near the center of the area Saddleback, Abraham, and 
Bigelow mountains rise as isolated peaks to elevations higher than any [other] moun- 
tains in the State except Katahdin. The river rises in Moosehead Lake, though its 
headwaters are collected by * * * a number of small streams rising in the hilly 
forested areas lying to the east and west of that lake. Near Moosehead the hills and 
highlands are well back from the lake, leaving a great open plain. The northern 
part of the drainage basin is broken by offsets from the AMiite Mountains. Nearly 
the whole of the upper portion of the drainage area is forest covered and in its original 
wild state. 

Penobscot River system. — The Penobscot has the largest drainage basin of all the 
rivers in Maine, comprising about 8,500 square miles, or more than one-quarter of the 
entire State. Its greatest length from north to south is 160 miles, its greatest width 
115 miles, all within the State. Eight hundred square miles of the basin discharge 
their waters into the main river below its lowest water power at Bangor. The basin 
is at a lower elevation above the sea than the basins of the Kennebec and the Andros- 
coggin, as would be expected from the general southeasterly slope of the country toward 



CLIMATE. 21 

the Atlantic Ocean. The northern portion, however, is rather elevated, having 
a mean height of about 1,000 feet. The highest portion of the basin is at the headwaters 
of the main river, where the elevation is from 1,600 to 2,000 feet. Taken as a whole, 
the basin is rather uniform in its topographic features. Hills and low mountains 
stretch from near the sea above Bangor; farther north is an undulating plain, while 
to the west the surface becomes more broken and greatly diversified by hills, detached 
peaks, lakes, ponds, and swamps. At the south the basin merges into that of Kenne- 
bec, and at the north into that of the Alleguash. * * * A large part of the basin 
is what is known as "wild land," being heavily timbered and known only to the lum- 
berman and the sportsman, 

St. Croix River system. — St. Croix River is formed by two branches, known as the 
Upper St. Croix or Chiputneticook River, the outlet of the Schoodic Lakes, and Ken- 
nebasis River, the outlet of the western lakes of the area, known as the Kennebasis 
Lakes. The Upper St. Croix, with its tributary lakes, forms nearly hah of the east- 
ern boundary of Maine, separating that State from New Brunswick. The total drain- 
age area of the main stream is about 1,630 square miles, of which 960 square miles are 
tributary to the great reservoir systems controlled by dams at Vanceboro and Prince- 
ton. The length of the stream from the headwaters to the mouth is 100 miles. The 
basin is, in general, lower than that of any of the larger streams of the State flowing 
into the Atlantic, its headwaters having an elevation of about 540 feet. * * * The 
lake system of the St. Croix is the largest in the State in proportion to the drainage 
basin, except that of the Presumpscot. * * * The lake system of the Upper 
St. Croix comprises approximately 50 square miles of lake surface, and that of the 
West Branch 70 square miles, considering only the principal lakes and ponds. Indeed, 
above Vanceboro and Princeton each branch of the river is simply a succession of 
lakes to almost the extreme headwaters. The total lake surface of the St. Croix is 
estimated as not less than 150 square miles, or nearly one-tenth of the total drainage 
area. 

Coastal streams. — Between the St. Croix and the Penobscot are Dennys, East Machias, 
West Machias, Narraguagus, Union, and other rivers, and between the Penobscot and 
the Kennebec are the St. George, the Pemaquan, and others, while at the southwest- 
ern extremity are the Mousam and the Piscataqua, the latter forming a part of the 
western boundary of the State. These streams are all comparatively small, but their 
importance is greater than their size would indicate, from the fact that they are in a 
more thickly populated part of the State and are nearer the coast, where transporta- 
tion facilities are much better than in the interior, and that they have considerable 
fall and regular flow, due to the lakes and ponds tributary to them. 

RELATION OF CLIMATE TO UNDERGROUND-WATER 

CONDITIONS. 

The climate of Maine is healthful. Although the A\'inters are long 
and severe the summers are pleasant and warm. The mean annual 
temperature ranges from 37° at Fort Kent to 46° at Portland. " 

The mean annual precipitation ranges from 35.3 inches at Fair- 
field to 52 inches at Ma}^eld, Somerset County, there being 11 
climatological stations in the State, as shown by the accompanying 
table. Fig. 1 shows the isothermal and isobaric lines for the State. 

a Boardman, S. L., Special Rept. U. S. Dept. Agr. No. 4 1884, pp. 16-20. Henry, A. J,, Bull. Q, U. S. 
Weather Bur., 1906, pp. 122-134. 



22 



UNDEBGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 



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UNDERGROUND WATERS. 23 

As a rule, the rainfall is fairly well distributed throughout the year, 
some of it occurring in every season. Thus a large part of the precip- 
itation occurs when the ground is unfrozen, and much of the rain 
penetrates the ground and goes to mcrease the imderground water 

supply. 

The winters often begin in November, but the climax of the season 
is not reached till February, and the winter generally ends in April. 
The summers are, as a rule, short, generally beginning abruptly in 
June. Fair weather predominates. In July and August there are 
frequently several successive days of muggy weather, followed by 
cooler spells, generally with east winds, during which the contrast 
in temperature is striking. The coldest place in winter is Fort 
Kent, and the coolest place in summer is probably Eastport, which 
has a summer mean temperature of 59°. Summer generally termi- 
nates gradually in the latter part of September. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 

SOURCE OF UNDERGROUND WATERS. 

Rainfall. — Practically all the water utilized for domestic purposes 
is supplied by rain. The 35 to 52 inches of rainfall disappears from 
the surface principally in three ways — (1) by evaporation; (2) by 
ran-off through the streams; and (3) by absorption into the rocks 
and unconsolidated deposits. It is with the last-mentioned portion 
of the rainfall that an underground-water report is concerned. 

Evaporation. — Evaporation, although far less conspicuous than 
the other methods of removal of the water from the surface, is never- 
theless one of the most important. The quantity thus removed com- 
monly amounts to one-half or more of the total water falling as rain. 
This water never enters the ground, and therefore does not become a 
source of supply for domestic or other purposes. 

Run-off. — The run-off includes the water that flows over the sur- 
face into streams and lakes and is carried seaward through definite 
channels. The quantity disposed of in this way is dependent partly 
on evaporation and partly on the nature of the materials on which 
the rain falls. The amount of run-off or discharge in the drainage 
areas of the two principal river systems of the State is as follows: 
Kennebec, 22.4 inches; Androscoggin, 24.2 inches. 

Absorption. — The rainfall that is not removed by evaporation or 
by run-off into surface streams is absorbed by the soil or rocks with 
which it comes in contact, either directly or after being gathered 
into streams. In the first case the rain falls on the surface of the 
rocks or on the loose unconsolidated deposits lying upon them, and 
is either soaked into their pores or passes into the fissures and cavities 
which may be present in the harder materials. In the second case 



24 UNDEEGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

the water flows into the streams, and from these it may seep into the 
rocks in which their channels he, but this seldom occurs in Maine. 
In either case the unconsolidated materials lying upon the rock 
surface are saturated to a certain level, and the rocks upon which 
they lie are in this way kept in contact with water, which is con- 
tinually being absorbed. 

'\Mien water enters sands and gravels the direction of movement 
in moderately moist regions like southern Maine is generally toward 
the river rather than away from it, but in arid regions, where the 
ramfall is slight, waters are often absorbed by the gravels in the beds 
of streams which have come from regions of greater rainfall. 

MODE OF OCCURRENCE. 

Water occurring in sands, gravels, and other surface deposits is 
generally held in the pores, or spaces between the pebbles or smaller 
particles. In certain types of solid rocks, as some sandstones, con- 
glomerates, and very porous limestones, water occurs in the same 
way, saturating the entire rock below the level of the water table. 
Most rocks found in Maine, however, are so hard, compact, and close 
grained that the amount of water contained in the pores is very 
small. In such rocks practically all the water is held in various 
forms of crevices, cavities, and fissures. In the slates and argillaceous 
schists which underlie a large part of the area under discussion, 
considerable water is held in the bedding and cleavage planes. In 
granite, gneiss, slate, schist, and most other hard rocks the largest 
amounts are contained in joint cracks — fissures which cut the rocks 
in various directions. Where rocks have been faulted — that is, 
where one wall of a fissure has been moved up or down or horizontally 
with reference to the other wall — lines of springs sometimes follow 
the fault where it cuts the surface. In limestones large amounts of 
water occur in solution cavities which have been dissolved by slow 
water percolation. 

AMOUNT OF GROUND WATER. 

General statement. — The amount of water held in the rocks or 
other materials composing the earth varies greatly, owing to many 
causes. The amount absorbed depends on the porosity of the ma- 
terial, the slope of the surface, and the size and abundance of joint 
cracks, fissures, and cavities. The amount of water in drift or surface 
materials is dependent to some extent on the nature of the under- 
lying rock, and the amount which finds its way into the solid rocks 
is dependent on the thickness of the overlying surface deposits. 

Amount of absorption. — The amount of water absorbed is dependent 
chiefl}" on the nature of the materials. The more porous beds of sand 
and gravel that occur as drift deposits along stream valleys, lake 



UNDERGKOUND WATERS. 25 

shores, and the coast absorb ver^^ large amounts. Next to these 
unconsohdated deposits, the rocks which present the conditions 
most favorable for direct absorption are sandstones and certain 
porous Ihnestones. The direct absorption by granites, slates, and 
other massive rocks is very slight. In a general way porosity is 
determined by the amount of water which the rock is capable of 
absorbing. A cubic foot of sand will absorb on an average about 10 
quarts of water, and certain porous sandstones will absorb 2 to 6 
quarts. 

Upper and lower limits. — In general it is necessary to dig only a 
few feet to reach a zone saturated with water. The upper limit of 
this zone is known as the water table, and the water saturating the 
materials is known as ground water. The general relations of water 
table and ground water are shown in fig. 2. The depth to the water 




Fig. 2. — Diagram showing relation of ground water and water table to outcrop and bed rock. 

table is dependent principally on the amount of precipitation, being 
least in regions of much rainfall and greatest in arid regions. Wliile 
there is no definite lower limit to the penetration of water, it is 
probable that little surface water penetrates more than 3 miles 
below the surface, and most of the pores and crevices in rocks are 
closed below the depth of a few hundred feet. 

Total amount of ground water. — The total amount of water con- 
tained in the earth's crust has been estimated b}^ different writers 
with widely different results. The most recent estimate is given 
by Fuller,'^ who concludes that the total amount of free water in the 
earth's crust would be equivalent to a uniform sheet over the entire 
surface of the earth with a depth of about 100 feet. This is but a 
small fraction of the estimate made by other writers. 

ULTIMATE DISPOSITION OF GROUND WATER. 

The water held in the rocks of the earth's crust disappears in a 
number of ways. A small portion enters into the chemical compo- 
sition of the rocks. Small amounts are absorbed by forests and 
other vegetation. Some of the water reaches the air through capil- 
larity and is evaporated. The largest amounts reach. the surface by 

a Fuller, M. L., Total amount of free water in the earth's crust: Water Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey- 
No. 160, 1906, pp. 59-72. 



26 UiSTDERGROUND WATERS OF SOtfTHERiS^ MAINE. 

hillside springs and through seepage to neighboring streams. In 
settled regions large amounts serve as contributions to wells. It 
is the two last-mentioned portions and the portion still remaining 
below ground with which we are concerned in this report. 

TEMPERATURE OF UNDERGROUND WATERS. 

In all wells there is a certain depth, which differs in different 
localities but is commonly from 50 to 60 feet below the surface, at 
which there is practically no variation in the temperature of the water 
from season to season or from year to year. The temperature at this 
depth is known as the normal temperature of the water for a given 
locality, and it agrees very closely with the mean annual temperature 
of the same locality. 

In southern Maine the normal water temperature is 40° to 47°. 
Waters occurring nearer to the surface than the zone of uniform tem- 
perature vary in temperature according to season, being warmer than 
the normal in summer months and colder in ^^dnter months. Below 
the depth of normal temperature the temperature increases, o^^ing to 
the internal heat of the earth, the average increase being about 1° in 
every 50 feet. A temperature higher than that which would be 
expected at a given depth may be due to the derivation of the water 
from a deep source, but as no thermal springs are known in Maine 
this cause is not believed to prevail. Where an abnormally high 
temperature is found in summer it is generally due to the mixture of 
surface water with the deep-well water, either by leakage along the 
casing or by penetration dowTiward through joint cracks. 

Many determinations of deep-well temperatures have been made 
throughout Maine, and are found to vary from 45° to 54°, being com- 
monly somewhat higher than the normal. The most common tem- 
perature was 47°. In this State the temperature seems to hold no 
definite relation to the depth of the well, as would be expected; the 
reason is supposed to be that water in most rock wells in Maine is 
derived from more than one vein, and the principal supply is not in- 
variably at the bottom of the well. In any well not properly cased 
surface water may enter and raise the temperature above the normal. 
The true temperature of a well water can be found only by pumping 
several minutes before taking the measurement, to exhaust the water 
which has become either heated (in summer) or cooled (in \\Tnter) in 
the piping. 

The temperature of a well water is frequently a factor of consider- 
able importance to the users. In a number of pulp mills in Maine 
well waters are used for cooling acid. They are also used in creameries 
for cooling cream, and for ordinary drinking purposes it is more pleas- 
ant to have a cool water. Practically all rock waters in Maine are 
cool enough for drinking, but in some dug wells the water is warmer 



UNDERGROUND WATERS. 27 

than the average. Deep-well water whose temperature is higher 
than 50° is open to suspicion; it is probably in part surface water. 

QUALETY OF UNDERGROUND WATERS. 

General statement. — Rain water falling near the close of a storm, 
after the impurities have been dissolved out of the air, is very nearly 
pure HgO. As it finds its way below the surface, however, into the soils 
and surface deposits it dissolves and holds in solution small quan- 
tities of organic and mineral matter. Normally in the country dis- 
tricts, where the ground water does not come into contact mth pollut- 
ing materials in its downward passage, it dissolves only a small 
amount of organic matter, but takes into solution some mineral mat- 
ter. As the water moves downward still farther and enters the under- 
lying solid rocks large quantities of mineral matter may be taken into 
solution. In Maine the quantity of mineral matter is seldom more 
than 200 to 500 parts per million, and this does not affect the safety 
of the water for drinking purposes. In towns, however, and in the 
vicinity of houses, barns, refuse heaps, privies, and cesspools, consid- 
erable amounts of polluting organic matter are dissolved by the 
ground water, and such water is dangerous for domestic supply. 

Source of mineral matter. — Polluting organic matter always comes, 
directly or indirectly, from the surface. Mineral matter, however, 
may enter the water in a number of ways. In most parts of the 
State it is practically all dissolved from the rocks or other materials 
in which the water is found or through which it has passed. For this 
reason water in limestone and calcareous slate, the materials of which 
are easily soluble, contains large amounts of mineral matter, whereas 
water in such rocks as granite and ordinary clay slate contains less 
amounts. Certain mineral constituents, as nitrites, nitrates, and 
chlorine, are frequently derived from organic matter, and therefore 
their presence in abnormal quantities is an indication of pollution. In 
some wells on islands or near the ocean the amount of mineral matter 
is found to be very high, frequently running up to several thousand 
parts per million. Such proportions are sometimes due to a mixture 
of salt water which has entered from the sea. 

NorTYial cJilorine lines. — One of the best indications of the source of 
water, especially of surface water, is chlorine. This element, a con- 
stituent of common salt, is present in nearly all natural waters. Its 
original sources are certain mineral deposits and finely divided salt 
spray from the sea. This sea spray, which is of most importance as a 
source of chlorine in Maine, is carried inland wath dust particles and 
precipitated with the rain. The chlorine decreases as waters farther 
and farther inland are tested, and hence it has been possible to make 
determinations and prepare a map giving lines of equal chlorine 



28 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OP SOUTHERN MAINE. 



which represent the normal percentages throughout the State." All 
salt found m water not derived from mineral deposits or from the sea 
comes from domestic drainage and indicates that the water either is 
at the present time polluted or was polhited and has since been puri- 
fied. For surface waters the normal chlorine lines hold with orpeat 
accuracy. For most underground waters, however, owing to the 
occasional presence of chlorine in rocks and to the frequent circulation 
of water to localities of different normal chlorine, the map is of little 
value, and should not be depended on except when considered 
together with other evidence. 

WATER-BEARING ROCKS OF MAINE. 

PRINCIPAL TYPES. 

General statement. — All formations contain more or less water, 
which, as has been pointed out, occupies cavities or crevices in the 
rock or is held between the pores. The principal rocks in southern 
and eastern Maine are granites, gneiss, slate, schists, and surface vol- 
canic rocks, wdth a few small areas of limestone, quartzite, and other 
rocks. Overlying these are usualh" surface deposits, consisting of 
sand, gravel, glacial till, and marine clays. 

B elation to underground waters. — The amount and the nature of 
the w^ater occurring at any locality are dependent on the kind of 
material in which it occurs. The distribution and character of water 
in various materials are summarized in the following table : 

Summary of occurrence of water in rocTcs and surface deposits of southern Maine. 



Material. 



Distribution. 



Water supply. 



Granite 



Gneiss 
Slate.. 



Irregularly distributed over large areas. 



.do 



Forms more than one-third of the area. 



Schist Irregularly distributed in slate and 

I gneiss areas. 
Limestone or jnarble.. Chiefly in Knox County, but existing 

also as thin bands in slate areas 

generally. 
Trap and volcanic rocks Occur in several relatively small areas. 



Unmet am orphosed 

sedimentary rocks. 
Gravel and sand 



Till or bowlder clay. 



Perry Basin, eastern Washington 

County, and other small areas. 
Widely distributed, especially in the 

valleys, 1 to 100 feet thick. 
Covers the bed rock nearly every where; 

in many places underlies gravel and 

sand. 
Clay I Locally distributed in the valleys and 

along the coast. 



Plentj'of good waterat moderate depths, 
but held entirely in irregular joint 
cracks at variable distances apart. 
Do. 
Generally plenty of good water. Occurs 
in irregular joint cracks, and to a mod- 
erate extent along highly inclined 
cleavage and stratification planes. 
Do. 

Abundance of hard water, chiefly in 
solution cavities. 

Small amounts of water, which are 
mostly rather high in mineral matter, 
but in some wells are as good as gran- 
ite waters. 

Not tested, but probably contains 
plenty of water of good quality. 

Large amounts of water. Of good qual- 
ity' where not polluted. 

Water of A-ariat)le amount and quality. 



Contains little available water. 



o Jackson, D. D., Water Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 144, 1905, PI. II. 



U S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
GEORGE OTIS SMITH DIRECTOR 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER N0.2 2 3 PL. 







iUPPLV PAPtR NO 22 3 PL 











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MAP SHOWING DISTRIBUTION OF ROCKS IN SOUTHERN MAINE. SO FAR AS KNOWN 

Based on reconnaisBance and detailed maps by Geo. Otis Smith, E. S. BaotJn, 

F. G. Clapp, G. C. Matson. and C. W. Brown. 



WATER-BEAKING ROCKS. 29 



DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

GRANITE AND GNEISS. 



■ Description. — The granites and gneisses are very hard, dense, 
coarsely crystalhne acidic rocks, and possess as a rule only microscopic 
pores. Granite being one of the hardest of rocks, drilling in it is 
difficult. Commonly a well in this rock is not deepened more than 
3 to 5 feet a day, and sometimes not more than a few inches a day. 

Distribution. — These rocks are widely distributed in Maine. Their 
boundaries are so irregular that their limits are best defined on a 
map rather than in a general description. The granite is represented 
by the brown color on PL I. There is some granite in nearly every 
part of southern and eastern Maine, but the largest areas are in Wash- 
ington, Oxford, Cumberland, and York counties. As stated in the 
legend, areas covered by the granite symbol on the map include 
some small masses of a somewhat more basic rock, similar to granite, 
but of a darker color, known as diorite, and also moderate areas of 
gneiss, a somewhat banded type of granite, and of pegmatite, a rock 
of granitic composition but of very irregular and coarse texture. 

Relations to other rocks. — Where the granite occurs in large areas 
it extends downward to an unknown depth. In late Silurian or 
Devonian time the granites and gneisses, in a molten condition, were 
intruded into the sedimentary rocks which existed at that period. 
In many localities, as in York and Cumberland counties, the granite 
can be seen cutting across and inclosing masses of slate. An instance 
of this relation is seen in PL X, B, which shows a thin band of granite 
parallel mth the stratification of the slate, the whole rock being much 
metamorphosed. 

Joint cracJcs. — Practically all the water found in granite occurs 
in joint cracks. These joints generally form complex systems 
of intersecting planes (figs. 2 and 4). In southern Maine there are 
two principal systems. One of these — the horizontal joints, sheet 
joints, or ''beds" — is approximately parallel wdth the surface of the 
ledge. Near the surface these joints are only a few inches apart, 
but they become many feet apart with increasing depth. In the 
J. C. Rogers well No. 1, near Stonington, 27 distinct "beds" of rock 
were penetrated in a depth of 94 feet. These ranged in thickness 
from a few inches to 14 feet. The thickest bed was passed through 
about midway from top to bottom in the well. The joints that are 
not sheet joints run in all directions, but in southern Maine the 
great majority of them, including the most persistent series, strike 
between N. 70° E. and S. 50° E. The hade of the joints, or the angle 
which they make with the vertical, varies, but except in the sheet 
joints it is generally small — from 0° to 30°. A zone of these vertical 
joints is illustrated in PL II, A. 



30 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Structural relations of granite. — The structure of the granite in 
Hancock County, where it is extensively quarried, is typical of Maine 
granites, and its peculiarities will therefore be discussed in some 
detail. A number of quarries were visited with a view of obtaining 
information regarding the relations of rock structure to occurrence 
of water. In the quarries at Brooksville the principal system of 
joint cracks strikes S. 80° E. These joints are very numerous and 
persistent and are nearly vertical. They are, however, not open 
except near the surface. The second system, consisting of a few 
joints only, strikes S. 10° W. The sheet joints slope with the hill 
and the beds are in general from 1 to 5 feet in thickness. These 
conditions would seem to afford a good opportunity for water to 
penetrate downward parallel with the slope of the hill. In all the 
quarries there are some joints which do not seem to belong to either 
regular series, and some which are more open and would give a bet- 
ter opportunity for the downward penetration of water. One joint 
belonging to the principal series exposes an inch of decomposed 
granite that has been much iron-stained by percolating water. This 
crack was very wet, owing to water which is now penetrating along 
it. In some places granite along joint cracks is decomposed for a 
distance of 2 inches or more from the crack. 

In another quarry in the same town the principal system of joints 
strikes approximately N. 20° W. and hades 25° W. This system is 
continuous from the top to the bottom of the quarry, which is 20 
feet or more in depth. The principal crack is one-fourth inch wide 
in places. When seen it was a little wet, but not iron stained or 
decomposed. In this system the joints are from 20 to 40 feet apart. 
A smaller system runs about east-west and hades nearly vertical. 
Other vertical joints do not belong to any of the regular systems. 
These irregular joints are much stained and tightly closed. They 
are generally from 2 to 10 feet apart and die out as they run against 
the more persistent joints of the principal series. 

At Stonington a great deal of quarrying has been done and the 
conditions here are fairly typical of the granite on the Maine coast. 
The general strike and hade of the joints average the same as in other 
towns. Some cracks are, however, as much as an inch in width. 
One crack was found filled with a soft, greasy-looking mineral having 
a cleavage resembling that of calcite. As most of the quarries are 
on small islands, and some of them extend more than 100 feet below 
the sea, the sea water seeps in along the general system of joints 
and collects in the bottom of the quarries, whence it has to be pumped 
by windmill or engine. The sheet joints in the quarries at Stoning- 
ton are nearly always dry. They slope toward the sea from the center 
of the hill, generally being 1 to 2 feet apart at the surface. Some of 
them are one-fourth to one-half inch in width and are filled with 
earth and rotten granite. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE II 




A. ZONE OF NEARLY VERTICAL JOINT CRACKS IN GRANITE 

QUARRY. 




B. CONCENTRIC WEATHERING IN DIORITE AT PLEASANT RIVER GRANITE QUARRIES, 

DALOTVILLE. 
Showing mode of entrance and storage of water along deconnposition planes. 



WATEK-BEAEING KOCKS. 31 

Water supplies. — Fig. 4 gives an example of the general arrange- 
ment of joint cracks. It will be seen that it is possible for water 
occurring in surface deposits to find its way dowmward to great 
depths, and that it will be tapped by any well which chances to strike 
a joint sufficiently open to form a part of the reservoir. The nearly 
vertical joints (PL II, A) and decomposition planes (PL II, B) gen- 
erally serve as channels for the admission of water; the sheet joints 
serve as part of the reservoirs in which it is stored. As most of the 
joints are rather narrow, the amount of water yielded by them is 
likely to be only moderate, as a rule not more than 10 gallons a 
minute. Occasionally, however, as much as 30 gallons a minute has 
been obtained with a steam pump. The occurrence of water in 
granite is well illustrated by PL III, which shows water flowing from 
sheet joints in quarries at North Sullivan and Jonesboro. Similar 
flows have been observed at numerous quarries in Maine. In the 
R. A. Small weU at Lisbon Falls a hand mirror was used to examine 
the bottom and sides of the well at frequent intervals during drilling, 
and water was seen to enter from all the sheet joints. In a few 
granite wells no water has been found. 

On account of the extreme irregularity of joints in granite it will 
be seen that the success of any well in this rock is largely a matter 
of chance, dependent on whether the location is a fortunate one with 
reference to the arrangement of the joints. Fig. 4 shows how a well 
may (a) strike plenty of water within a few feet or (b) go to a great 
depth mthout success. Where the joints are numerous an increased 
amount of water may be "found by deeper drilling, but in some 
places such continued drilhng has found open cracks through which 
the water ran away. 

As joints are most common near the surface and diminish in 
number as the depth increases, and as the pressure tends to make 
them close up with depth, the water supplies in granite are generally 
found within 100 or 200 feet of the surface. In an investigation of 
water in the crystalline rocks of Connecticut, Ellis" concluded that 
as a rule it does not pay to drill below 200 feet. A prominent well 
driller of Maine who has drilled many wells in granite, in a calculation 
based on his experience, found that the average depth of the principal 
vein of water was 185 feet. While successful wells in which the 
})rincipal vein is at a greater depth are often found, the probability 
of success by drilling below 250 feet seems to be less than it is by 
'^pulhng up" and starting a new well a few feet away. On account 
of the irregularity of the joints the new well is no less likely to be 
successful because a drilling near by has proved unsuccessful. One 
well drilled in gneiss at Auburn went to a depth of 654 feet without 
encountering any water. Few wells are complete failures, however. 

a Ellis, E. E., Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 160, 1906, pp. 19-28. 



32 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

A few wells in granite yield natural flows of water. Usually, however, 
the water stands some distance below the surface. 

Qualify of icater. — In quality granite water is as good as the best. 
The analyses on page 77 show that the total solids range in 
general from 40 to 200 parts per million, with occasional higher 
records. Analyses of granite waters from several wells along the 
coast have shown total solids running up to several thousand parts 
per million, but these proportions are mostly due to the inward 
penetration of sea water along open joints. In a few wells the 
amount of chlorine in granite harmonizes with the normal chlorine 
for the locahty, but in most it is much liigher. When this dis- 
crepancy can not be accounted for by pollution or by entrance of 
sea water it is beheved that sodium or calcium chlorides exist in the 
rock. The calcium, magnesium, and sodium in granite are generally 
low, none of them being known to exceed 70 parts per milUon, and 
they are nearly everywhere below 30 parts. The carbonates may 
run as high as 150 parts, but are here and there as low as 10. Sul- 
phates, if present, range up to 40, and silica from 5 to 30; potassium 
is not recorded above 10 parts. The general composition of granite 
water, as illustrated by analyses made in southern Maine, is repre- 
sented by PI. IV. 

SLATE AND SCHIST. 

Description. — The slate found in southern and eastern Maine is 
exceedingl}^ diverse in character. Most commonly it is a fine-grained, 
moderately hard, dark-gray to greenish or black rock produced b}" the 
consolidation and metamorphosis of clay. In places it grades into 
true schist. In Aroostook County, southern Penobscot County, and 
a few other localities the slate is locally slightly calcareous. Prac-' 
tically all the slate in this State is highl}^ folded, and the stratification 
and cleavage planes stand on edge. Near the coast the strike is vari- 
able, but in Kennebec and Penobscot counties it is very constant, 
being about N. 60*^ E. over broad areas. The dip is not so uniform, 
but is nearly ever3^where high. As these rocks range from very hard 
to very soft, the speed of well drilling varies proportionately. Gen- 
erally 2 to 10 feet a da}^ can be accomplished, but one well is reported 
to have been sunk 35 feet in a single night. 

Distribution. — Nearly half the area covered by this report is under- 
lain by slate and schists. The areas are so irregular that they can 
not be well described, but they are sho^^Ti on PI. I by the green color. 
Slate is much more abundant in the northern part of the area than in 
the southern part, and north of the forty-fifth parallel it is still more 
predominant. 

Relation to other rocks. — At many points in York and Cumberland 
counties and elsewhere the slate and schist can be seen to be cut by 
granite, proving that the sedimentary rocks in that part of the State 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE 







A. SECTION OF GRANITE QUARRY AT JONESBORO. 

Showing water issuing fronn sheet joints. 




B. VIEW IN CRABTREE & HAVEY'S GRANITE QUARRY, AT NORTH SULLIVAN. 
Showing occurrence of water in sheet joints. 



i 





U. S. GEOLOGICAL SU 


Parts 
per 


CUMBERLAND 5 
CO. 




million 
500 










450 







400 










350 
300 














250 










200 








\ 


150 




\ 




\ 


100 










50 














-^r^\,^_^ 









rTTrir^ 


5 


D 


AGRAM ILL 


-USTP 


t 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE IV 




5 10 12 14 19 21 24 25 28 

Numbers of analyses 

DIAGRAM ILLUSTRATING RELATIVE COMPOSITION OF GRANITE WATERS IN SOUTHERN MAINE. 



WATEE-BEAKING ROCKS. 33 

are older than the principal granite masses. In the Penobscot Bay 
quadrangle the slate and schist (Penobscot formation) have been 
sho^^^l to be probably of Cambrian age, and most of the similar rocks 
of southwestern Maine are believed to be of the same age. The Ells- 
worth schist is slightly older, but may also be Cambrian. All the 
regionally metamorphosed rocks are Ordovician or older, as the move- 
ments which produced metamorpliism took place about the close of 
Ordovician time. The liigh folding and extensive metamorphism of 
these rocks over ^^4de areas make them all of the same class so far as 
the underground-water conditions are concerned. 

StratiUcation, cleavage, andjissility. — The slates over most of Maine 
show clear evidences of stratification, but have been subjected to so 
great pressure that the dip is ever^^vhere at a high angle, generally 
within 30° of the vertical. The strike along the coast is somewhat 
A^ariable, but throughout most of Kennebec and Penobscot counties 
it is rather constant, in few places departing much from N. 60° E. 
Most of the slate and schist is rather easily cleavable, and as a rule 
the cleavage and foliation planes correspond in strike \\ith the strati- 
fication, but vary somewhat in dip. The cleavage, foliation, and 
stratification planes are generalh^ tightly closed at considerable 
depths, but rather open near the surface, and in mam^ regions they 
allow passage for small quantities of water. 

Joint cracks. — ^\Yhat has been said regarding joints under the de- 
scription of granite mil also apply in a general way to slate and 
schist, except that in these rocks the cracks are more irregular in 
direction, extent, and characteristics. On account of the difference 
in structure of slate, its joints are not conspicuous, but they can be 
depended on for water supplies. Where they are flat, they have little 
effect on drilling, but in numerous places the slate is much cut up by 
joints, many of which are inclined. These often work havoc mth 
drilling tools. If an inclined joint plane is hard and smooth, the drill 
ma}^ glance off and give a crooked hole. If the joint plane is soft, 
the drill may get stuck, and sometimes many days are required to 
rem.ove it, or the hole may have to be abandoned altogether. 

Water supjMes. — Slate is generally supposed not to contain much 
water, but in Maine it has proved to be the most productive rock. 
As in granite areas, the water is first stored largely in superficial 
deposits of gravel and bowlder cla}". In the slates and schists, how- 
ever, the water penetrates do^vnward not onl.y through joint S3^stems 
but also along small fissures which follow the stratification and 
cleavage planes. An illustration of the way water may find its way 
below the surface from overlying drift is given in PI. Y, A, and 
PI. VII, A, the first view showing the eft'ect of stratification planes 
aufl the second of joint cracks. 
59969— iRR 223—09 3 



34 VXDEKGKOU^'D WATEKS OF SOUTHEKN MAIIsE. 

Oil account of the more numerous means of admission of water 
larger quantities are generally expected and found in slate than in 
granite. Few wells drilled in slate in southern Maine have met with 
absolute failure. Instances in Avhich only a gallon or two of water a 
minute has been found are due generally to the insufficient depth of 
the well. 

The depth to which it is advisable to drill in slate differs somewhat 
in various parts of the State. In some places along the coast and 
near the areas of intruded igneous rocks, where the slate has evidently 
been under great pressure, the statement made with regard to granite. 
that it is not desirable to drill deeper than 250 feet, seems to hold 
true. In the large slate areas of the interior, however, wells drilled 
much deeper than that seem to afford supplies which increase with 
depth. Some of the best wells in the State are more than 300 feet 
deep, and so far as kno^\m there have been no failures among these 
deep holes. Hence in the large slate areas it is well to drill as deep 
as 400 or 500 feet unless sufficient supplies are obtained nearer the 
surface. In general, the water in slate is not all obtained in any one 
vein, but small supplies are found in a number of veins, and it is by 
the repeated tapping of new veins that a sufficient supply is finally 
obtained. The amount of water supplied b}- most slate wells less 
than 100 feet in depth is between 1 and 10 gallons a minute. In 
many of the wells of greater depth, however, the supplies run up to 
30 gallons a minute, and in a few localities, as at Searsport, wells 
pumped by steam pump have been reported to yield more than 50 
gallons a minute. 

A prominent well driller of Aroostook County calculates that in 
that part of Maine the average depth of wells is 81 feet. In Bangor 
and vicinit}^ drilling frequently has not been successful at first, but 
rather than go deeper the driller has moved the machine 5 to 10 feet 
and a good supply of water has been obtained. Such cases resemble 
the occurrence of water in granite. 

That large open cracks exist in slate is proved at Sorrento, where 
two salt-water wells were obtained on a peninsula, indicating the 
penetration of sea water inward from the ocean. In Islesboro cracks 
and cavities are numerous. These are most common 30 to 40 feet 
from the surface, and few occur below 100 feet. They are supposed 
to be due to the solution of beds of limestone, and the permanent 
supplies from this source are only 2 to 3 gallons a minute. 

The best and largest supplies in southern Maine are obtained in 
slate and schist below 100 feet. 

The head of water in slate is very uncertain, depending on the 
topographic situation of the well and the arrangement of the systems 
of water passages in the rock. The water level may stand am^vhere 
between the bottom and top of the well, but is commonly a few feet 
below the surface. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE V 




A. OUTCROP OF SLATE IN RAILROAD CUT AT KITTERY JUNCTION. 
Showing fracture of rock along bedding and possibility of water entering from overlying drift. 




B. COMPLETED WELL BELONGING TO CRABTREE & HAVEY, AT NORTH SULLIVAN. 
Showing proper nnode of protection of well drilled in granite. 



WATEB-BEAEING BOCKS. 35 

Strange as it ma}^ seem to those who know the structure of slate, a 
few flowing wells have been struck in this rock. Such wells do not 
appear to have any regular distribution, and there are in general not 
more than one or two in a towTi. Two of them are in Westbrook, 
two in York, two in Islesboro, one at Bangor, and several elsewhere 
in the region. The flow seldom exceeds 3 gallons a minute. It is 
general^ caused by the pressure of water following downward 
along systems of joint cracks from neighboring hills (see fig. 4), and 
the water rarely, if ever, in this region comes from a distance. The 
best flowing wells in Maine are at Greenville, Piscataquis Count}^, 
where there are several from which the water will rise 10 to 14 feet 
above the surface. These will be described in the report on the 
underground waters of northern Maine." 

Quality of water. — In quality the slate water of southern Maine 
ma}^ be said to be the best for drinking purposes, and except in Waldo 
and Penobscot counties it is seldom hard. According to the analyses 
which have been made (see pp. 78-80), the total solids run from 25 to 
more than 800 parts per million. In order to show graphically the 
general character of slate water PL VI has been prepared. A sepa- 
rate line is given for each constituent of the water, and it will be seen 
that there is some similarity in the composition of the water from 
different localities. 

Occasionally the water found in slate contains small quantities of 
iron, but these are rarely sufficient to be objectionable. In Waldo 
and Penobscot counties the amount of calcium and magnesium car- 
bonates is high and produces some scale in boilers. Waters in these 
counties are generally called ''hard," but are only of moderate hard- 
ness when compared with many waters in the Central States that are 
used for a great variety of purposes. 

LIMESTONE. 

Character and distribution. — In southern Maine the limestones are 
restricted to a type of dense crystalline limestone which is found 
practically only in Knox County, in the towns of Rockland, Rock- 
port, Camden, Thomaston, and Warren. The rocks consist of a 
number of bands of limestone associated with slate, schist, and 
quartzite. (See PL I.) These bands are not more than a mile in 
greatest width and extend in a general northeast-southwest direction. 
In Islesboro there are local beds of similar limestone, all very thin 
and interstratified between vertical slates. These thin hmestones of 
Islesboro are unimportant, except as they furnish a large proportion 
of calcium carbonate in the water and interfere with well drilling. 
The distribution of the Hmestones of Knox and Waldo counties is 



a The report for the northern part of the State is in preparation. 



36 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

slio^Mi in detail in the Rockland folio.* These limestones are believed 
to be all a part of the same geologic series, and were formed at the 
same period as most of the slates of central Maine and of Waldo and 
Kno:s; counties. 

Solution cavities and cJiannels. — The waters in hmestone occur 
mainly in open channels, caverns, etc., dissolved in the rock by the 
water itself. The water probably originally followed joint or bedding 
])lanes, wliich were gradually enlarged by solution and formed the 
ca^dties that we now find. One of these channels, exposed in the 
side of an abandoned quarry, is illustrated in PL VII, B. The occur- 
rence of these channels mthin the limestone is very irregular and 
their location can seldom be predicted. Most deep wells drilled in 
the limestone, however, will probably encounter one or more such 
passages. 

Water supplies. — The waters in hmestone are hard but are not com- 
monly minerahzed in other respects. There is a considerable likeli- 
hood of pollution, owing to the fact that much of the underground 
water occurring in limestone has found its way downward through 
definite channels and has carried with it more or less surface wash. 
A single analysis of limestone water is given in the table on page 86 
(No. 255). This water Avas collected from a spring in the bottom of 
a deep quarry near Rockland. No other analyses were made, as no 
weUs have been drilled in hmestone (except wells on Islesboro, which 
are largely in slate but pass through tliin layers of hmestone). The 
large amoimt of water pumped daily from these quarries and the 
common occurrence of springs in them indicate the probable existence 
of considerable quantities of water in these rocks. 

At Islesboro the drillers report numerous cracks below 50 feet in 
depth, and occasionally pockets 3 to 4 feet in size are found. These 
generally supply abundant water for a few minutes or hours^ but the 
supply soon gives out, so drilling is never stopped at a pocket. 
Although these wells are in a slate region, the pockets are supposed 
to occur in tliin beds of limestone which have been partly dissolved. 

VOLCANIC AND OTHER IGNEOUS ROCKS. 

Character and distribution. — In the extreme western part of Han- 
cock County, on many of the islands in Penobscot Bay, on the south- 
ern edge of Mount Desert Island, and in eastern Washington County, 
there is a class of rocks represented on the map (PI. I) by the red 
color. These rocks are principally volcanic in origin and consist of 
flows of andesite, rhyolite, diabase, etc., and of beds of tuff or vol- 
canic ash. On a map of this scale it is not possible to represent all 
the various types of these rocks, even if the limits of all the areas 
were definitely kno^vn. In Hancock and Knox counties the mapping 



a Geologic Atlas U. S., folio 158, U. S. Geol. Survey, 1908. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE VII 





A. OUTCROP OF SLATE BELOV\' TILL IN RAILROAD CUT AT KITTERY 

JUNCTION. 
Showing vertical joint cracks and overlying cover of till in which water is held. 







^a^P^^H^H^ 


1 


1 


;^ 


JfJil^Ml^.. 


f^* 


1^ J^P^r- 3]>fjij4j^B 


' ^^^^^^JfikT ^^^^^^^^M 


r 

4 


i " ■ 






^'7. 


v\-^x:R-m . 




■^-*^^ ■; > 


0' 


f^^^ 








- i^^^i^ 'w*^*' .*..'* r^j^^W.wjm 





i>'. SMALL CAVE AND SOLUTION CHANNELS IN LIMESTONE. 
Showing old water passages, Rockland. 



WATER-BEARING ROCKS. 37 

is based on the detailed maps of the Penobscot Bay foHo.^ In 
Washington County the Hmits of the volcanic rocks are not so accu- 
rately known. 

Besides the areas of volcanic rocks represented on the map, there 
are small dikes of trap rarely more than a few feet in width. These 
are intrusive in the slate and granite throughout the coast region, and 
are geologically among the most recent rocks in the State. 

Water swpi^Ues. — On account of the manifold nature of the volcanic 
rocks, no comprehensive statements can be made concerning the 
water supplies they contain. Wells in these rocks are, however, 
much less sure of success than those in granite. In Castine several 
weUs drilled in acidic volcanic tuff obtained moderate suppHes, but 
one was an entire failure. In a 625-foot well at this place no water 
was found below 425 feet. At North Haven several wells drilled in 
basic lava flows get fair amounts of water, but some wells here were 
but partially successful. On Suttons Island, off Mount Desert, a well 
in trap is reported to yield 26 gallons a minute when pumped with a 
gasohne engine, but wells on neighboring islands were either unsuc- 
cessful or obtained only from 1 to 5 gallons a minute. At Eastport 
and Lubec several wells sunk in greenstone seem to give moderate 
amounts. One well at Eastport was a flowing well. 

Quality of water. — On account of the small areas covered by these 
rocks in Maine only half a dozen analyses have been made. These 
are given in the table on page 81 and are represented graphically 
in PL VIII. It will be seen that the one greenstone water analyzed 
showed 413 parts per million of total solids, of which 108 were cal- 
cium, 42 were organic and volatile matter, and 71 were sulphates. 
Afield assay of the same water showed 214 parts of bicarbonates, this 
being about as hard as the average of the slate waters in Penobscot 
County. The first analysis of trap water (No. 155) is so high in 
mineral matter that it is supposed to be partly sea water, and should 
not be considered as typical of trap waters in general. The second 
analysis of trap water is more moderate, showing only 90 parts of 
total solids. The proportions of the various elements in this water 
are very low for a well water. When trap waters are used they 
seem to be fairly good for both drinking and washing. 

UNMETAMORPHOSED SEDIMENTARY ROCKS. 

A few small areas in eastern Maine are occupied by unmetamor- 
phosed sedimentary rocks, but only one of these — Perry Basin, in 
eastern Washington County — is of sufficient size to be mapped. 
(PI. I.) This area is described by Smith. ^ The rocks were found 
to be conglomerates, sandstones, and some interbedded rhyolitic 

a Geologic Atlas U. S., folio 149, U. S. Geol. Survey, 1908. 
6 Smith, G. O., Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 35, 1905. 



38 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

lavas. They are of Devonian age, and were named the Perry forma- 
tion. No drilled wells are known to have been sunk in these rocks, 
and hence little is kno\vn of the underground water conditions. 
To judge from similar rocks in other localities, they ought to hold 
plenty of water of good quality. In the same region are consider- 
able areas of Silurian shales. 

AKEAS OF COMPLEX. 

Character and distribution. — On PL I large areas in Oxford, 
Androscoggin, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, and Waldo counties and 
portions of adjacent counties are represented hj a buff color. These 
areas are occupied b}^ what is known as a complex, consisting of 
slates and schists intimately intruded b}^ granites, gneisses, and 
basic volcanic rocks. The rocks in eastern areas, or those lying east 
of Brunswick and Augusta, are more slaty, and those in the western 
areas are more granitic, but they can not be differentiated on the 
map. 

^Yat€r supplies. — As a rule water from areas of complex that are 
of notable size is more uncertain in quantity" and quality than that 
from either granite or slate. Some good wells have been obtained 
in these areas. In many wells in Lincoln county the water has a 
peculiar taste, which sometimes makes it unfit for use. The water is 
known to have a bad effect on the well casing, frequently eating 
holes tlirough it in a surprisingly short time, and the solution of the 
galvanized iron may possibly be a factor in the taste of the water. 
In some wells the taste may be due to iron, but as iron is absent in 
the greater number of these waters, this is not the chief cause. A 
review of the analyses of waters from the complex (p. 81) show^s that 
the}^ average higher in sulphates than those from either granite or 
slate. This indicates that the}^ may contain free sulphuric acid. 
The sulphates range from a trace up to 77 parts per million. One 
field assay reports 286 parts per million. The total solids run from 
95 to 301 parts per million in samples which were tested for them. 
As a rule the waters in the more granitic portion of the complex area 
are rather poor in quality, containing considerable iron and other 
minerals, whereas that from the more slaty portion is better. 

SURFACE DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

PRINCIPAL TYPES. 

The surface deposits in Maine consist of stratified and unstratified 
clay, sand, and gravel and of till or bowlder clay. With the excep- 
tion of some modern beaches, these surface deposits, which are 
known collectively as ''drift," were laid down directly or indirectly 
through the agency of vast continental glaciers that covered New 
England at several periods during the last million years. ^laterials 



U. S. QEOLOGICA 



450 



400 



350 



300 



250 



* 200 



150 



100 



50 




135 137 

DIAGRAM ILLL 





U. S. QEOLO 


GICAL SURVEY 












WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE VIII 






Rocks of complex 




1 Trap Itfl^gi 


Parts 

per 
million 

500 














oj o" 








LEGEND 


ds 

aluminum ox 
m 










1 
1 
1 

1 




450 


Silica 

Iron and 

Calcium 

Magnesiu 




ides 






1 

1 

1 
1 


1 

1 

1 




400 
350 
300 
250 






Sulphates 

Chlorine 








/ 


1 
I 
1 
I 


j 
















; 

1 
1 

1 


1 
1 
1 
\ 


/ 














\ 


1 
1 
1 
/ 
1 


\ 

1 

1 


/ 


/ 


V 










\ 


1 
1 

/ 


1 

1 
1 I 


/ 




/ 












\ 


1 i 
1 / 
1 / 
1 / 
1 / 


\ 1 
\ 1 
\ 1 


/ 






150 


/ 












^ 


I / 
1 / 

1 / / 

' ' / 




/ 






y' 








' 




;// 
1/ 


\ \ 


I /''/ 




^S= 


'^^^^ 


---^ 






y^^- 


"'^^ 


£/ 


\ \\ 





135 137 136 141 142 144 149 152 165 156 

Numbers of analyses 

DIAGRAM ILLUSTRATING RELATIVE COMPOSITION OF WATERS IN AREAS OF COMPLEX, TRAP, AND 
GREENSTONE IN SOUTHERN MAINE. 



SURFACE DEPOSITS. 39 

formed by the grinding action of the ice in passing over the rocks 
and former surface deposits were, when the ice retreated, left as the 
heterogeneous deposits of till or bowlder clay w^hich now cover large 
areas in both the uplands and the valleys. During the occupation 
of the region by ice, glacial rivers laden with sand and gravel flowed 
upon or under the ice, and the deposits made in their channels now 
appear as long, winding gravel ridges, known as ^^eskers.^' During 
the times when the ice was stationary gTeat quantities of sand and 
gravel were often discharged into the sea, into glacial lakes, or onto 
the land surface to form deltas and sand plains. Irregular water-laid 
deposits, formed in connection with the ice, are known as ^^kames." 
When the ice finallv melted it did not retreat steaclilv, but often 
halted, perhaps for years at a time, and during such halts a ridge or 
a succession of hills of sand, gravel, till, and bowlders was some- 
times formed at the ice front, of material pushed up by the glacier or 
deposited by glacial waters. Such deposits are known as ^^ moraines." 

The wTiter has found evidence that since the first glaciation there 
have been intergiacial periods.^ During such an interglacial stage 
the land seems to have stood at a lower level than at present, and 
there was deposited in the sea a widespread bed of stratified cla}^, which 
now extends for great distances along the coast and more than 100 
miles up the larger valleys. This has been known as the Leda clay, 
from a species of fossil shell which it contains. 

In order that the occurrence of water in the surface formations 
may be well understood, they will be described in some detail, in the 
order in which they originated. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

BOWLDER CLAY, OR TILL. 

Cliaracter and distribution. — Bowlder clay, or till, is the principal 
drift deposit of Maine. It consists mainly of a heterogeneous deposit 
of clay, sand, gravel, and bowlders, showing as a rule no trace of 
stratification and containing bowlders up to several feet in diameter. 
Its thickness ranges from a few inches to more than 100 feet. Usually 
it is very hard and tough, and is called ^'hardpan," though this term 
is also applied by well drillers to other formations. 

This material is probably the most widespread deposit in ]\Iaine, 
overlying the bed rock nearly ever}^vhere, and generally underlying 
the surface sand, gravel, and clay deposits, where the latter are pres- 
ent. In places in southwestern Maine till occurs segregated in the 
form of lenticular hills, known as ^^drumlins." These are often from 
one-fourth mile to a mile in greatest length and 100 to 200 feet in 
height, and are composed entirely of the hardpan type of bowlder clay. 

'I Complexity of Ihe glacial period in northeastern New England: IJiill. Geol. Soc. America, vol. LS. 190S, 
pp. 505-550. 



40 UNDERGROUND VV'ATER« OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Water supplies. — Where typical and occurring in thick deposits, as 
in drundins, bowlder clay can not be said to yield a large amount of 
water. Wells dug in drunilins are generally dependent on surface 
water and frequently run dry in summer. The scantiness of the 
supply in drumlins is due to the large proportion of clay in this type 
of till, rendering it impervious. AMiere the till fills depressions and 
covers gentle slopes, however, it is in many places of more variable 
character, locally containing gravelly and sandy layers, and here 
and there having openings which form rather definite w ater chan- 
nels. For this reason the degree of success with wells in till varies 
greatly, but in the aggregate the till yields a large amount of water. 
Generally wells of large diameter are most successful, as they offer 
a better opportunity for intercepting a ''vein." W^ater obtained 
from till is generally of good quality for all uses, unless situated within 
the range of contamination from surface drainage. If the water once 
becomes polluted it may retain its dangerous character for a long 
time and for a considerable distance. 

Water occurring in till is generally found within a few" feet of the 
surface. As a rule it is not under pressure, however, and will not 
rise above the point at wdiicli it is encountered. The volume at any 
one time is not generally large, but there is a constant slow inflow. 
Water is abundant in a wet season or after a rain, but a large propor- 
tion of wells in till run dr}' in summer. 

SAND AND GRAVEL. 

CJiaracter and distribution. — Sand and gravel deposits are known 
collectively as '' modified drift," for the reason that they are composed 
of till Avhich has been reworked and assorted bv water. Such de- 
posits occurring in the form of flat or gently sloping plains are known 
as sand plains, deltas, or outwash deposits; those formed in long 
ridges on or under the ice are know^n as eskers; and those deposited 
as irregular hills near the ice front are kno^vn as kames or moraines. 
Many of these deposits are of great thickness. They all consist of 
pebbles and grains of sand, derived from a great variety of rocks. 

Sands and gravels are widely distributed throughout the State, 
^loraine, kame, and esker deposits may occur in nearly all situations, 
though most commonly in the lowlands. Sand plains and outwash 
deposits are situated mostly along the valleys and lakes and within 
a few miles of the coast. Some of these plains are very extensive, 
covering many square miles of surface. 

Relation to other deposits. — Most of these deposits overlie the prin- 
cipal body of till, although local beds of gravel are found underneath 
the till and in a few places gravelly layers occur in the till itself. 

Gravel is also variable in its relations to clay deposits. Along the 
coast and in the valleys of Androscoggin, Kennebec, Penobscot, and 
other large rivers many extensive deposits of coarse gravels underlie 



SURFACE DEPOSITS. 41 

the clays, and in such places the upper surface of the gravel is likely 
to be undulating. In other places sand and gravel overlie the clay. 
Water sup lilies. — Sands and gravels are very porous; in many of 
them 30 per cent of the volume is made up of free space between the 
o-rains. In such materials the whole mass is saturated below the 
water level, and when penetrated by wells copious supphes are 
quickly yielded. The waters are generally of good quahty, and in 
Maine they contain less mineral matter than waters from most 
other types of deposits. 

In passing do\\Tiward through the sands surface waters are sub- 
jected to natural filtration and the substances with which they 
may have originally been polluted are frequently changed to harmless 
chemical compounds. In gravel and in the coarser types of sand 
the water moves more rapidly and the conditions are less favorable 
for filtration, so the waters may remain polluted. In general, how- 
ever, waters from sands and gravels, if taken from a considerable 
distance below the surface, are safe to use. Plenty of water may 
generally be found at 10 to 20 feet, but supplies from greater depth 
are much safer. 

In the sands and finer gravels the cheapest and best method of 
obtaining water is by driven wells, which can be sunk quickly and 
at very slight cost. In the very fine sands or quicksands, however, it 
is very difficult to exclude the material from the pipes, the quicksand 
frequently penetrating the well and clogging the pipe or ruining the 
pump. Because of the readiness with which sands and gravels 
yield their water, wells located close together frequently affect one 
another, some wells drawing water away from others. The ease of 
movement of the water is also the cause of great fluctuations in the 
level of the surface of the saturated zone, which falls rapidly after 
wet seasons. To procure permanent supplies the wells should 
penetrate to the level which the water surface occupies in the driest 
seasons. 

CLAY. 

Character and distribution. — The clay deposits of Maine differ 
greatly in composition and in origin. The most common type, how- 
ever — a widespread formation of rather uniform character — is a 
Ught-gray or brownish, fine-grained, thin-bedded deposit, ranging 
from plastic to tough, but so dense as to be almost impervious to 
water. It is of marine origin, as shown by fossil shells which it con- 
tains in many places. In some localities there are thin layers of 
sand stratified with the clay. The thickness of this principal clay 
bed is generally not more than 20 to 30 feet, but in some of the 
deeper valleys and along the coast it may be as much as 100 feet. 

Clay is widely scattered, but in general it occurs near the coast 
or in the valleys within 100 miles of it. Near the sea it occurs as 



42 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

flat or gently sloping plains rising from 15 to 80 feet above tide. 
That those plains have been deposited in comparativel}" recent time 
is shown by their flat surface and the slight erosion they exliibit. 
Farther back from the coast, and in the vallej^s of Piscataqua, Saco, 
Presumpscot, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Penobscot, and other rivers, 
there are clays at higher levels, in some places above 200 feet, and in 
a few reacliing 300 feet. The highest elevations are found in the 
Kennebec Valley, but in general the upper limit is little more than 
200 feet. These high-level clays are best preserved in situations 
more or less protected from erosion, and when the}^ occur in the 
main valleys they are much eroded, suggesting that they may be 
older than the coastal clays. 

Relation to other deposits. — ^ATiere clay occurs it nearl}" always 
overlies the principal till deposit. In many localities, however, 3 to 
5 feet or more of gravelly till rests on the clay. Gravel may overlie 
or underhe clay, or both. The clay is generalh', but not invariably, 
unconformable \\4th both the underhdng and the overl;^ang deposits. 
TTaier supplies. — Clay is so impervious that in itself it contains 
little or no water which can be utilized as a source of suppl}' 
Water is frequently reported in cla^^s, but it usually occurs in more 
or less sand}^ layers. In some places sand which approaches cla}^ in 
fineness and which is sometimes mistaken for clay yields consider- 
able water. 

Clay is of greatest importance, not as a water bearer, but as a con- 
fining layer to porous sands, the w^ater in which it prevents from 
escaping. In large areas it is overlain by sand which contains much 
water, resting on the impervious cla}^- and moving slowly riverward 
or seaward. 

The waters of clays, because of the fineness of the material, come 
into contact wdth relativel}^ large amounts of mineral matter and 
frequently become mineralized, lime and salt being the most com- 
mon substances dissolved. These waters are, as a rule, free from 
contamination. ^^Tien, because of the absence of other sources, it is 
necessar}^ to obtain supplies from clay, a well should be sunk with as 
large a diameter as practicable and be continued beneath the point 
at which the water is obtained to a sufficient depth to furnish ample 
storage capacity, as clay waters are slight in amount and are yielded 
very slowly. Dug wells are usualh" most satisfactory where the clay 
is near the surface, but such wells should be carefully covered and 
guarded from all sources of pollution. 

OUTLINE OF GEOLOGIC HISTORY. 

In order to make clear the relations of the various water-bearing 
and impervious formations of Maine a brief summary of the history 
of these formations is given. As a complete geologic investigation of 



EECOVEEY OF UNDERGROUND WATER. 43 

the State has never been made, little can be said regarding the rocks, 
but the sequence in which they were formed will be briefly reviewed. 

The oldest formation in the southern part of the State is probably 
the Ellsworth schist,^ of Cambrian age. Muddy sediments that sub- 
sequently became slates were deposited over large areas originally, but 
at the close of Ordovician time there was a long period of dynamic 
metamorphism in which these slates were turned on edge, cracked 
and broken, and intruded by molten granite, which now fills cracks in 
the slate and constitutes the surface over wide areas. The volcanic 
action may have extended into Devonian time. In some later age 
the trap dikes which penetrate the slate were formed by intrusion of 
a basic t3^pe of molten lava. Some slates, sandstones, and other 
rocks may have been formed after the intrusion of the dikes. 

After the formation of all the solid rocks of Maine and their meta- 
morphism and folding there were long ages during which few deposits 
were made in this part of the country, and the land was eroded into 
hills and valleys and brought into substantially its present relief. 
Then came the series of great glacial invasions which covered the 
State with a thick coating of drift. After the deposition of till and 
gravels and the retreat of the ice of the first invasion there was a long 
interglacial stage during which erosion removed the greater part of 
the glacial deposits, so that they are now found only in patches beneath 
the more recent till sheets. 

The next glacial invasion of which we have any record is the one 
during which the greater part of the Maine bowlder clay was formed. 
During the subsequent disappearance of the ice coarse gravels were 
deposited in the valleys and along the coast, after which the wide- 
spread formation of marine clay took place. Later the land was 
elevated and the clay was deeply eroded. Still later the ice advanced 
again, depositing a few feet of a more gravelly type of till over some 
of the clay deposits. During the retreat of this final ice sheet im- 
mense deposits of sand and gravel were formed in most of the valleys 
and fresh marine clays were laid down along the coast. By subse- 
quent uplift these clays have now reached an elevation of 20 to 80 
feet above the sea, and form extensive plains in some localities. 

RECOVERY OF UNDERGROUND WATER. 

GENERAL STATEMENT. 

Underground water can be obtained naturall}^, as it emerges from 
the ground in the form of springs, or artificially, by means of wells or 
collecting galleries. These methods and their bearing on the under- 
ground-water problems of Maine will be discussed separately. 

a T)ie Ellsworth schist is described by G. O. Smith and K. S. Bastin ia tlie I'enobscot Bay foho 
(No. 149) of the Geologic Atlas of the United States, published by the United States Geological 
Survey. 



4-i U:^I>iiii(iKOU:^D WATEHtt OF aOUTHEKN MAINE. 

SPRINGS. 

Classification and emer-gence. — Wherever the water table or a 
water-bearing bed intercepts the surface of the ground a spring is 
formed. Springs are of various t^^es. The waters may percolate 
through pores in the surface deposit or tlirough passages in sand and 
clay, and these are known as seepage springs. They may traverse 
limestone or other soluble strata, dissolving passages for themselves, 
and fuially emerge on a hillside, or they may flow out of fissures along 
joint cracks or fault or contact planes and be known as fissure springs. 
The term ^^ fissure springs" is used rather comprehensivel}^ to include 
the springs issuing along bedding, joint, cleavage, or fault planes. 
The distinguishing feature is a break in the rocks along which the 
waters can pass, it being immaterial whether an}^ considerable open 
space exists. Springs may occur in almost any topographic situation, 
even on a plain, but they are most common on steep hillsides. 

The common method of classifying springs is by their predomina- 
ting mineral constituents. Since the days of Aristotle many different 
classifications have been invented, and at the present time several 
are in use. The classification most commonly accepted in the 
United States is that of Peale," who divides all ixdneral springs into 
two great groups — nonthermal or cold, and thermal — and into five 
classes with reference to chemical ingredients, viz, alkaHne, alkaline- 
sahne, sahne, acid, and neutral or indifferent. Some writers use the 
term ^^ chalybeate" for the fourth class instead of acid. This classi- 
fication is easily subdivided, according to the predominant solid con- 
stituents of the water, wliich may be sodic, litliic, potassic, magnesic, 
saUcic, iodic, bromic, arsenical, sihceous, manganic, aluminous, etc. 
The terms '^nongaseous," '' carbonated," and '^sulphureted" designate 
the existence or nonexistence of gaseous contents. 

The majorit}^ of mineral springs in Maine are either neutral or Hght 
alkahne-calcic or alkaline-chalybeate; only a few^ springs would fall 
in the other classes. They are not classified in this report, as the 
analyses (pp. 84-87) give a much better idea of their character. 

Number and importance in Maine. — Springs are abundant in Maine, 
especially in the interior of the State. Very many are situated on 
hillsides, from which the water can be distributed by gravity to resi- 
dences and farms. In places several famihes have combined and 
have distributed the water of the larger springs through their dweU- 
ings by pipes. Here and there the water is raised by windmills. 

The water is very cool, temperatures as low as 45° being common 
and temperatures over 50° seldom reported. The spring waters are 
therefore valuable for dairy and creamery purposes. 

a Peale, A. C, Natiiral mineral waters of the United States: Fourteenth Ann. Kept. U. S. Geol. Survey, 
pt. 2, 1894, p. 66. 



RECOVERY OF UNDERGROU^^D WATER. 45 

Springs are more generally utilized in those parts of the State 
where the well water is hard than where it is soft. In a few places, 
where the quality of water in the neighboring streams is poor, 
springs supply manufacturing establishments. 

Information previously published. — The earhest pubhcation regard- 
ing the mineral springs of Maine was made by Goodale in 1861.^ The 
data contained in tliis report, consisting of a few analyses, tem- 
peratures, etc., were recompiled by Peale^ in 1886. A few springs 
were described in 1899 by Crook. ^' Otherwise no information has 
been pubhshed regarding Maine springs except the reports of sales 
given in the Geological Survey's annual reports on the mineral 
resources of the United States. 

Commercial springs. — A group of springs of great economic value 
to the State comprises those which are designated commercial springs, 
or those of which the waters are sold by measure. In this group there 
are two subclasses. The first includes springs that furnish table 
water to consumers in their vicinity at regular intervals. The second 
subclass comprises springs the waters of which are bottled and shipped 
to distant points, including the mineral springs whose waters are 
commonly supposed to possess medicinal properties, and also certain 
other springs the water of which is exceptionall}^ pure. The sales of 
water from these two classes amount annually to more than $100,000, 
not including the sales of water from Poland Spring, the proprietors 
of which decline to make am^ statement as to the quantity or the 
value of the water supplied by them. It is believed, however, that 
the aggregate value of the water shipped from this spring is greater 
than that of the water from all the other springs in the State. 

Altogether the springs reporting sales in southern Maine at the 
time this investigation was made (1906) were 44 in number, as follows : 

Xddison Mineral Spring, Addison, Washington County. 

Arctic Spring, Bangor, Penobscot County. 

Baker Puritan Spring, Old Orchard, York County. 

Bluehill Mineral Spring, Bluehill, Hancock County. 

Carrabasset Mineral Spring, Carrabasset, Franklin County. 

Chapman's Spring, Brewer, Penobscot County. 

Cold Bowling Spring, Steep Falls, Limington, York County. 

Crystal Mineral Spring, Auburn, Androscoggin County. 

Forest Spring, Litchfield, Kennebec County. 

Glenrock Mineral Spring, Greene, Androscoggin County. 

Glenwood Spring, St. Albans, Somerset County. 

Highland Spring, Holden, Penobscot County. 

Highland Mineral Spring, Lewiston, Androscoggin County. 

Hillside Spring, Bangor, Penobscot County. 

Indian Hermit Mineral Spring, Wells, York County. 



a Goodale, G. L., Report on the mineral waters of Maine: Sixth Ann. Rept. Maine Board of Agr., 18(il. 
ftPeale, A. C, Mineral waters of the United States: Bull. U. S. Geol. Sim-ey No. :\2. I88fi, pp. 13-1(1. 
'Crook, J. K., Mineral waters of the United States and Canada. 



40 UNDERGKOUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Ishkii ISj)rinu;s, West llaiirock, Hancock County. 

Katagudos t>])ring, Eastbr()i)k, Hancock Counly. 

Keystone Mineral Spring, East Poland, Androscoggin County. 

Knowlton's S(xla Spring, South Strong, I'^ranklin County. 

Mount Desert Spring, ikw Harbor, Hancock County. 

Mount Hartford Mineral Spring, Hartford, Oxford County. 

Mount Oxford Sj)ring, Sumner, Oxford County. 

Mount Zircon S])ring, Milton Plantatioii, Oxford County. 

Oak Grove Spring, Brewer, Penobscot County. 

Olde Yorke Spring, Old Orchard, York County. 

Oxford Spring Home, Oxford, Oxford County. 

Paradise Spring, Brunswick, Cumberland County. 

Pejepscot Spring, Auburn, Androscoggin County. 

Pine Spring, Topsham, Sagadahoc County. 

Pine Grove Spring, Pittsfield, Somerset County. 

Poland Spring, Poland, Androscoggin County. 

Pownal Spring, New Gloucester, Cumberland County. 

Pure Water Spring, AVaterville, Kennebec County. 

Raymond Spring, North Raymond, Cumberland County, 

Rocky Hill Spring, l^^airfield, Somerset County. 

Sabattus Mineral Spring, Wales, Androscoggin County. 

Seal Rock Spring, Saco, York County. 

Sparkling Spring, Orrington, Penobscot County. 

Switzer Spring, Prospect, Waldo County. 

Thorndike Mineral Spring, Thorndike, Waldo County. 

Ticonic Spring, Winslow, Kennebec County. 

Underwood Spring, Falmouth Foreside, Cumberland County. 

A\'awa Lithia Spring, Ogunquit, York County. 

White Sand Spring, Springvale, York County. 

In addition to the springs given above, the following springs were 
reported by Peale," with analyses that were made at various dates 
between 1861 and 1879. It is not known whether all these springs 
are still in use, but none of them report sales. 

American Chalybeate Spring, South Auburn, Androscoggin County. 

Auburn Mineral Spring, South Auburn, Androscoggin County. 

Boothbay Medicinal Spring, East Boothbay, Lincoln County. 

Ebeeme Spring. 

Fryeburg Spring, Fryeburg, Oxford County. 

Lake Auburn Mineral Spring, Xorth Auburn, Androscoggin County. 

Lubec Saline Springs, head of Lubec Bay, Washington County. 

North Waterford Springs, northwest of Waterford village, Oxford County. 

Poland Silica Springs, South Poland, Androscoggin ('ounty. 

Rosicrucian Springs, Rosicrucian, Lincoln Coimty. 

Samoset Mineral Springs, Nobleboro, Lincoln County. 

Scarboro Spring, Scarboro, Cumberland County. 

Summit Mineral Spring, Harrison, Cumberland County. 

West Bethel Spring, West Bethel station, Oxford County. 

Analyses of some of the above were taken by Peale from Good ale's 
report. 

a Op. cit., pp. 1&-16. 



EECOVERY OF UKDEEGROUND WATER. 47 

Origin of spring waters. — A common belief regarding the origin of 
spring waters is that most of them are derived from a distant source. 
Several spring owners have told the writer, with perfectly truthful 
intent, that the water in their springs came from the Wliite Moun- 
tains, at least 40 or 50 miles awa3^ Owners of flowing wells in Isles- 
boro have stated their belief that the water of the wells has its source 
in mountains on the coast, several miles distant. 

In some regions springs may have such an origin. Many of the 
waters of mineral springs in the West come long distances under- 
ground. In Maine, however, it is not known that a single spring or 
well obtains its supply at a distance of more than a mile from the 
place where the water emerges. The majority of spring w^aters 
enter gravel deposits on the surface of a hill and pass downward 
along the top of the bed rock or ^4iardpan'' deposits until they find 
an easy point of emergence on the slope. In a few mineral springs 
the waters issue from joint cracks or from fissures in rock. These 
waters may come from a considerable depth, but as their tempera- 
ture is generally about the normal temperature of the region, they 
are not believed to come from a greater depth than 100 feet below 
the surface. 

Curative properties of spring waters. — Most owners of commercial 
springs publish numerous testimonials of wonderful cures wrought 
by the waters. From some advertisements it would appear that 
the w^ater would cure nearly every known disease. It is not within 
the province of this report to discuss the medicinal value of waters, 
but a word of caution should be given. There are man}^ reliable 
spring companies whose waters are all that is claimed for them. 
There are other companies who claim manifold cures which have 
never been made. It would be folly to expect am^ natural w^ater 
to be a cure-all; but a few spring waters may be valuable for cura- 
tive properties, which depend on the presence of certain elements 
or compounds. A summar}^ of the medicinal value of mineral w^aters 
is given in a recent bulletin of the Bureau of Chemistry." Few of 
the Maine spring waters contain large amounts of dissolved ^olids, 
and therefore few can be called mineral waters in the true sense 
of the term. Most of them are merely pure natural waters, which 
are of value chiefly on account of the small amount of solid matter 
dissolved in them. It is by their purity and by their buoyant effect 
on the general health that they build up the system, rather than on 
account of any wonderful specific property inherent in the water. 

a Hajnvood, J. K., Mineral waters of the United States: Bull. Bur. Chemistry, No. 91, U. S. Dept. Agr., 
1005, pp. 12-16. Compilnd from Crook's Mineral waters of the United Stales and Canada, Schweitzer's 
Mineral waters of Missouri, Cohen's System of physiologic therapeutics, and other pubUcations. 



48 UKDEEGKOUND AVATEES OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

COLLECTING GALLERIES AND TUNNELS. 

In many places, whore a large amount of water is needed, iniil- 
tration or collecting galleries are constructed, generally in flood 
plains of rivers, where the water which saturates the deposits can 
be collected and pumped out. This method is especially adapted 
to public supplies for fair-sized towns. It has not been used in 
Maine, but there are a number of communities where it could prob- 
ably be used to advantage. 

WELLS. 
GENERAL TYPES. 

Ojyen wells. — Open wells are ordinarily used for domestic purposes 
throughout the State. Wells of this type are generally 3 to 6 feet in 
diameter and from 10 to 50 feet in depth, the most common depth 
being about 30 feet. The depth is dependent on the distance to the 
water table and on the character of the material penetrated. Such 
wells are dug b}^ hand if in surface deposits, or blasted if in rock. 
Duo; wells are curbed with stone or bricks, j^enerallv uncemented. 
Sometimes open wells under 2 feet in diameter are bored mth an 
auger; such wells are curbed with w^ooden curbs. Open wells are 
adapted principally to localities where the water is near the surface, 
especially where it occurs in small seeps, in clayey materials, and 
requires extensive storage space. Open wells should never be situ- 
ated near sources of pollution. 

Tuhular wells. — This term is used in a general sense to describe 
all types of wells cased with iron pipe, or drilled in solid rock where 
casing is not necessary. In diameter they vary from 1^ inches in 
some shallow driven wells to 15 inches or more in the largest tubular 
wells sunk for city water supplies. In soft unconsolidated deposits 
of sand and gravel which carry considerable water at shallow depths 
small pipes 1^ to 4 inches in diameter, pro^aded with points and 
screens, may be driven by hand or power. Such tubular wells are 
termed driven wells. In localities where the upper soil contains 
polluting matter driven w^ells are much safer than open wells, for, 
when driven some distance below the water table, they draw only 
from the lower part of the reservoir. Shallow tubular wells may be 
bored, or in soft deposits they may be sunk b}" the 'jet process," 
which consists in forcing water down a small iron "jet pipe" inside 
the casing, the water and drillings rising between the two pipes. The 
casing sinks bj^ its own weight or is forced down. Such wells are 
generally 2 to 4 inches in diameter. Tubular wells in rock or other 
hard material are commonly ' 'drilled wells," sunk by lifting and drop- 
ing a heavy drill run by power. Tubular wells are cased with iron 
pipe in soft material and generally not cased in rock. 

Connected wells. — Frequently two or more drilled wells are located 
near together and connected by exploding a cliarge of d^mamite near 



KECOVEKY OF UNDERGROUND WATER. 



49 



the bottom of the shallower one. Thus it is possible to pump several 
wells with a single pump. In a few places neighboring wells are con- 
nected naturally by joint cracks. 

Comhination wells: — A common form of well is the combination of 
dug and drilled or dug and driven well. Frequently when dug wells 
run dry the owner sinks a tubular well in the bottom, running the 
casing only to the bottom of the old open well, or only part way to the 
surface. As stated on page 54, such a combination well is unsafe. 

METHODS OF OBTAINING WELL WATER. 

Pumping. — In Maine there are few flowing wells, and in most wells 
the water must be raised artificially. The old-fashioned method of 
raising water is by the windlass, and in some parts of the State well 
sweeps are in common use. Such simple contrivances are only suit- 
able for shallow open wells: in deep wells it is necessary to install a 
pump. This is also recommended in shallow wells, as it is easier of 
operation and the well can be covered to prevent enti'ance of animals, 
dust, organic matter, etc. 

By far the great majority of wells in Maine are pumped by hand, 
and this method is in o'eneral fairlv satisfactorv when onlv a small 




Fig. 3. — Diagram showing conditions under whicli flowing wells are commonlj^ obtained in favorable 
regions. (After Chamljerlin.) This sketch shows the contrast to conditions in Maine, illustrated 
in fig. 4. A, Porous stratum; B, C, imper^^ous beds below and above A, acting as confining strata; 
F, height of water level in porous beds, or "head" of water; D, E, flowing wells supplied by water- 
filled bed A. 

amount of water is required for domestic use. Hand pumps are 
either ordinary suction pumps, chain pumps, rotary pumps, or deep- 
well pumps. In the farming and summer-resort sections, however, 
windmills are common. They are inexpensive in comparison with 
the sums generally spent in drilling the well, and they save a great 
deal of manual labor, especially when the water is desired for stock. 
For public water supplies it is necessary to resort to some kind of 
power. Steam, hot air, and gasoline engines are in use. ^lany per- 
sons who own cottages on the coast or islands have these kinds of 
power, which give excellent service. There are in southern Maine 
about 30 wells pumped by steam, about 17 by gasoline engines, and 
about 20 by hot air. Several electric power pumps and two or three 
air lifts have been installed. 

Artesian wells. — In many wells the water is under the pressure of 

a considerable head, forcing it to rise. Such wells are known as 

artesian wells. If the water rises enough to reach the surface, the 

wells are known as flowing artesian wells. The conditions under 

59969— iRR 223—09 4 



50 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 



wliich flows are normally obtained are described by Fidler,^ and the 
cause of the flow is illustrated in fig. 3. The pressure is due to the 
confmement of the water in inclosed beds beneath an impervious 
layer. The water enters the porous beds where they outcrop on the 
surface and flows downward beneath the impervious covering. When 
the latter is pierced by the well the water rises in consequence of the 
])ressure due to the superincumbent water. Only a few flows of this 
type occur in Maine, however, and these are generally from surface 
deposits in very local basins. 

Bayley, in his notes on the underground ^\aters of Maine,^ gives 
the location of a few flowing wells in Maine, and several more were 
mentioned by Smith, '^ in his Kittery-York report. A few more have 
been found by the writer. Most of these belong to the type illus- 
trated in fig. 4, where the pressure is derived from systems of joint 




Fig. 4.— Diagram showing various conditions in drilled wells in Maine. A, C, conditions under wMcli 
flowing wells may be obtained; B, D, S, conditions under wliich no water may be found; E, normal 
condition of obtaining water in drilled wells; A, conditions imder which well maybe polluted bj^ surface 
drainage entering joint cracks near mouth of well. 

cracks sloping from higher levels. A superficial coating of till or 
bowlder clay generally prevents the water from reaching the surface 
by springs at higher points on the hill. The water penetrates down- 
ward along joint cracks and is tapped by a well lower down on the 
slope or near the bottom of the valley. 

In all, 34 flowing wells are known in southern Maine. These are 
distributed as follows: 

Flowing wells in southern Maine. 

Androscoggin County 2 

Cumberland County 11 

Hancock County 3 

Knox County 1 

Penobscot County 2 

Sagadahoc County 2 

Somerset County 1 

Waldo County 4 

Washington County 1 

York County 7 

It will b^ noticed that flowing wells are most abundant in the 
southwest corner of the State. In the town of Greenville, several 
miles north of the area considered in this report, there is a group of 

a Fuller, M. L., Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey No. 319, 1908. 

t- Bayley, W. S., Water-Supply Paper, U. S. Geol. Survey No. 114, 1905, p. 49. 

c Smith, G. O., Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 145, 1905, pp. 122-123. 



EECOVEEY OF UNDERGROUND AVATER. 51 

flowing wells wliicli are better than any elsewhere in Maine. These 
will he described in the forthcoming report on the underground 
waters of northern Maine. The highest flow due to artesian pressure 
in southern Alaine is about 5 feet above the surface. In one well at 
Greenville, however, the water rises 20 feet above the surface. 

LOCATION OF WELLS." 

Factors to he considered. — The chief factors to be considered in 
choosing the best location for a well are (1) position of the water 
table, (2) accessibility and convenience, (3) direction of movement 
of ground water, (4) direction and movement of sewage, (5) points 
of most abundant water, and (6) possible sources of pollution. 

Position of the water tahle. — The first factor is generally not impor- 
tant except in open or driven wells. These are generally shallow, 
because of the nature of their construction, and their cost is small. 
"On passing clownw^ard in porous or semiporous materials, such as 
those in wliich most open wells are located, a level is soon reached 
below wliich the ground is saturated w^th water (at least down to 
the first impervious stratum). This water body, or ground water, 
as it is called, has a definite upper surface, knoA\ai as the water table, 
wliich conforms in general with the broader surface irregularities, 
but Adtli the difference that the surface of the water table is flatter 
than that of the ground, being far below the ground on hilltops 
and cutting the surface in valleys.'' At a stream or swamp the 
water table reaches the surface, and the nearer to such natural features 
the well is situated the less vdW be its cost. The places where the 
water table is nearest the surface, however, are the most subject to 
])ollution, and cheapness is often gained at the expense of safety. 

Accessihility and convenience. — The location of any well is neces- 
sarily determined to a large extent by its nearness to the place where 
the water is to be used. Convenience often demands that open 
wells should be situated under houses or in barnyards, near privies 
or cesspools, or in other situations where they are subject to pollu- 
tion, but it is always better to locate the well a few hundred feet 
away than to take such a risk. 

Points of most ahundant water. — In many places, especially on the 
uplands covered with, bowlder clay, it is necessary to choose the 
location of open wells with reference to the relative abundance of 
water. In bowlder-clay deposits the best situation can not always be 
told in advance, as water in them occurs most commonly in somewhat 
])orous channels not visible from the surface. When there is a 
choice betw^een digging in bowlder clay or in gravel the latter should 
be chosen, especially if the gravel is underlain by bowlder clay, as 

a Considerable portions of this and the succeeding section are taken l)y pennission from unpublished 
notes of M. L. Fuller. Literal excerpts are inclosed in quotation marks. 



52 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

the water will penetrate downward until stopped by the more im- 
pervious bed, and will then be held in a sort of reservoir until tapped 
by a well or drained off laterally. On slopes the most abundant 
water is near the base of the slope. Generally there is abundant 
water in valley drift, but on the hills it occurs in smaller quantities. 

Direction of movement of ground water. — "The motion of ground 
Avater is always in the direction of steepest slope of the water table, 
and as this is likely to correspond wdth the direction of the surface 
slope the direction of motion of the ground water generally approxi- 
mates that of the surface drainage." In drift deposits water 
moves from higher to lower levels. On hills it will move down- 
ward through the drift, along the top of the underlying rock. 
Exceptions are where till, clay, rock, or other relatively impervious 
formations dip in the opposite direction from the surface. In such cases 
the water will move doAoiward from the surface along the top of the 
impervious bed. Wells which are intended to tap the reservoir of 
ground water should be situated at points toward which the water 
is moving, and these points must be determined by a study of the 
surrounding formations. 

Sources of possible pollution. — Next to the c^uestion of abundance 
of water that of pollution is most important in a consideration of the 
location of wells. Purity or impurity of underground water is de- 
pendent on several factors. If porous drift extends do\\TLward in- 
definitely from the surface, opportunity is afforded for the dowmward 
penetration of polluting substances, but the water may sometimes 
be purified by filtering through sand. If the water-bearing bed is 
overlain by a covering of impervious rock or clay it is protected from 
pollution. The purity of water, even in deep wells, may be de- 
pendent on the tightness of the casing, both at the joints and at the 
connection ^\\i\\ the pump. Some deep wells in Maine have been 
rendered dangerous by leaving the casing open at the top, thus- 
afforcUng entrance for surface drainage, small animals, etc. (See PI. 
IX, B.) When wells are drilled into rock it is customary to drive the 
casing through the drift and a few feet into the ledge for the sake 
of protection, but where poor connection ^\\ih. the rock is made 
contamination often results. The purity of water is also dependent 
on the depth and kind of casing, as is explained on page 66. 

''Xo well should be located where polluting matter has access to it. 
Such matter usually comes from cesspools or privies, slops thro\vTi 
on the surface, backings from hen yards, pigpens, and barnyards, 
from manured fields, animals falling into the water, and filth throwTi 
in through the open top or washed in through the plank coverings 
or leaky casings. The matter entering through the top can be kept 
out by cement, iron, or other impervious curbings. The entrance 
of material at the bottom of shallow wells can be prevented only 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE IX 




A. WELL AT COUNTY JAIL, WISCASSET. 
Showing best method of protection from surface drainage. 




B. WELL AT HERON ISLAND, SHOWING OPEN CASING. 

PROTECTED AND UNPROTECTED WELLS. 



RECOVERY OF UNDERGROUND WATER. 53" 

by locating them . beyond the reach of contamination. Where any 
of the polluting agents are present care should be taken to see that 
the well is located at least 100 feet away and on distinctly higher 
ground, so that both the surface drainage and the underground 
drainage — which generally moves in the same direction — will be 
away from it. On fiat sands the wells should be at least 150 feet 
from any source of pollution. The importance of choosing a loca- 
tion safe from polluting influences is almost universally underesti- 
mated. Laying aside considerations of comfort and health, a safe 
well is nearly always, in the long run, the cheapest. Safety should 
invariably be made the first consideration instead of the last." 

Location of deep wells. — The chief consideration in locating deep 
wells is to obtain a supply, slight differences in location seldom 
greatly affecting cost; moreover, owing to the prevailing use of cas- 
ing in soft deposits, safety from ordinary pollution is insured. The 
occurrence of deep waters depends on the character and structure of 
the rocks far below the surface, and the well may usually be located 
independentlj' of surface relief. In cr37stalline rocks and highly 
folded slates, such as are found in Maine, it is impossible to predict 
with certainty where a well should be drilled in order to be successful, 
although a study of the rocks by a geologist should afford some infor- 
mation regarding the probability of obtaining successful wells in 
various situations. 

CHOICE OF A TYPE OF WELL. ^ 

Factors to he considered. — ^^The type of well is the first and perhaps 
the most important point to be decided when sinking for water 
is contemplated. Of the many types in use, including bored and 
driven wells, those sunk by the jet process, and those drilled by a 
rotary or percussion rig, each possesses one or more points especially 
qualifying it for use in some of the varying conditions encountered 
in drilling; on the other hand, each has some disadvantage which 
may disqualify it for use under certain circumstances. The chief 
factors which govern the selection of a type are usually the amount of 
water needed, the character of the materials to be penetrated, the 
depth to which the well must be sunk, the cost of sinking, and the 
safety of the resulting supply." 

Amount of water obtained by different types. — Where the amount 
of water entering the well is small, it is obviously a distinct advan- 
tage to have a well of sufficient size to store water during the 
times when it is not in use. Open wells are best for this purpose, 
and this type also has the advantage of cutting a larger cross section 

a Considerable portions of this section are taken by permission from unpublished notes of M. L. Fuller. 



54 U^'DEflGKOUND WATEBS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

of the water-bearing bed, and thus intercepting more water. In sands 
and other soft porous materials, which contain considerable water at 
slight depths, a driven well is desirable. Where water occurs in joint 
cracks, as in granite and slate, a well of large diameter offers greater 
chance of striking a seam of water than a well of small diameter. 
For all deep wells and for shallow wells in all but the softest materials 
drilled wells are recommended, as they are cheaper, more quickly put 
down, and safer than wells of the old-fashioned types. 

Safety of different types. — Polluting matter finds entrance to a well 
in a number of ways. In dug wells it may enter through the crevices 
in the stone, brick, or wood curbing, or even through the pores of the 
brick itself; in bored wells it may enter tlii-ough the uncemented 
joints of the tiling or cracks between the staves of the wooden curb- 
ing; and in drilled or driven wells it may enter through leaky joints 
or holes eaten in the iron casing by corrosive waters. In all t3q)es of 
open and curbed wells there is particular danger of surface wash. 
Open wells can be protected from this danger by proper curbing, but 
shallow wells of all kinds can be protected from underground pollu- 
tion only by safe location. In a town or village, and even in close 
proximit}^ to a farmhouse, few locations are safe, and hence drilled 
wells are almost universally the most desirable. These wells may 
become dangerous through leaky joints in a casing, through poor 
connection with the bed rock, through corroded casings, and through 
open tops. Where tiling is used for casing it may become so broken 
as to render the well dangerous. The danger of pollution in drilled 
wells can be remedied by proper construction. 

"A particularly dangerous type of well — the more so because it 
is fancied to be secure — is a combination of the dug and drilled types. 
Because of the slight saving in expense, drilled wells are frequently 
sunk in the bottom of old dug wells, the casing often beginning 
at the bottom of the latter. Although the water encountered by 
the deep well may be perfectly pure at the start, contamination 
may take place almost immediately by the entrance, especiall}^ 
after rains, of seepage water into the open well and thence into the 
casing of the drilled well. The remedies are obvious. Either the 
casing should be carried to the surface of the outside ground, or at 
least above the highest level ever reached by the water, or the open 
well should be converted into a water-tight system by the applica- 
tion of a thick coating of cement over both sides and bottom." 

Types in use in Maine. — In this State dug wells greatly predomi- 
nate in number over w^ells of all other types. Such wells are, how- 
ever, relatively shallow; few of them exceed 50 feet in depth. For 
that reason few dug wells are listed in Professor Bayley's table 



BECOVERY or UNDERGROUND WATER. 55 

(pp. 242-259). Next to dug wells the most numerous are those sunk 
with an ordinary churn drill. Most of the wells described in this 
report are of this type, as the}^ are by far the most practicable in 
reofions of hard rock. Driven wells are abundant in Maine, but are 
of necessity confined to shallow -depths and to valleys in which the 
sand and gravel deposits are very soft and easily penetrated b}^ the 
well point. On account of their shallowness few of them are included 
in the table mentioned. There are very few bored wells in Maine, 
and these are all rather shallow. 

DEPTH OF WELL. 

OBJECT OF DEEP WELLS. 

The depth to which a well is to be sunk is one of the chief questions 
to be decided, for on the depth are dependent both the type and the 
location. There may be at least three reasons why an owner should 
sink a deep well instead of a shallow one, viz, (1) to obtain an 
adequate supply, (2) to get a higher head, and (3) to get purer water. 

RELATION OF ADEQUATE SUPPLIES TO DEPTH OP WELL. 

Erroneous heliefs. — There seems to be a general belief that the 
amount of water increases with the depth, and that water may 
be found anywhere if only the well be drilled deep enough. Noth- 
ing, however, could be much farther from the truth. In surface 
deposits it is true that more water may be found with increasing 
depth as far as the gravel extends, but in the bed rock the occurrence 
of water follows different laws. The greater part of the water found 
in the earth came originally in the form of rain, and, as would be 
expected, the amount of water actually decreases rather than increases 
with great depth. Many rocks encountered by deep mines and 
wells, especially at depths below 1,000 feet, are entirely devoid of 
water." 

Limiting depth of abundant water. — In an investigation of under- 
ground waters in crystalline rocks in Connecticut it was found that, 
although down to a depth of 200 feet the chances of striking water 
by deeper drilling are good, below 200 feet the chances decrease. 
The difference is due to the closeness of the joint cracks below that 
depth.^ Substantially the same conclusion has been reached for 
many rocks in Maine. Several wells more than 500 feet in deptli, 
drilled in granite and gneiss, have obtained practical^ no water. 
One of the most experienced well drillers in Maine states that the 

oFuUor, M. L., Total amount of free water in the earth's crust: Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey 
No. KiO, 1900, pp. 64-70. 

^Ellis, E. E., Occurrence of water in crystalline rocks: Water-Supply Paper r. S. Geol. Survey No. ItIO, 
1906, pp. 22-23. 



56 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

average depth to which it is desirable to drill in granite is 185 feet, 
below wliicli the chances decrease. 

In many of the slate areas of the State, on the other hand, the 
maximum desirable depth seems not to have been reached, as wells 
300 and even 400 feet deep report increasing supplies with increasing 
depth. As few slate wells more than 400 feet deep have been drilled, 
no statement can be made for greater depths, but it is believed that 
the cracks tend to close below 600 feet. As the occurrence of water 
in this State is uncertain the depth at which wells strike a sufficient 
volume of water is. extremely variable and can not be predicted. 

Conditions of gr eater abundance at depths. — It is true that under 
certain conditions the volume of water found may increase with the 
depth. Sand, gravel, and bowlder clay, for instance, are dry down 
to the level of the water table, but below this level the amount of 
water increases until rock or some other impervious bed is reached. 
In some parts of Maine the surface deposit is clay, which contains 
very little water, but when this is penetrated gravels that contain an 
abundance of water are frequently found. Again, in rocks where 
the joints are open to great depths water may descend several hun- 
dred feet. Such is the case in some of the slate areas of Maine, 
where the deeper wells are the best. 

Conditions of greater abundance near surface. — On the other hand, 
the quantity of water held in thick sand and gravel deposits is gen- 
erally more than that in the rock or till below them. Water is more 
abundant in valley deposits than it is in the underlying rock. Where 
water-bearing sand rests upon clay the amount of water generally 
decreases as the clay is entered. Investigations have shown that 
in most rock wells the joint cracks are likely to be open near the 
surface and to diminish in size with increasing depth, and that if a 
depth of 200 to 500 feet or so, differing with the kind of rock, is reached 
without striking water it is generally cheaper and more satisfactory 
in all respects to start a new well. Usually the greater abundance of 
wTi,ter in deep wells than in shallow ones is due to the fact that a 
greater number of vrater-bearing seams are encountered, and for 
this reason it is advisable to drill at leas.t 200 feet if a sufficient 
supply is not obtained nearer the surface. 

RELATION OF HEAD TO DEPTH OF WELL. 

There is a general belief that the head as well as the volume 
increases with increase of depth. In a few wells such an increase 
was noted, for example, in the flowing wells at Greenville and in 
scattered wells elsewhere; but such cases are rare and are always 
due to chance local conditions which do not prevail over any wide 
area. In Elaine flowing wells are exceptional and should not be 
hoped for. . Sometimes the level of water in the well is raised by 



RECOVEKY OF UNDEKGROUND WATER. 



57 



going deeper, but this too is an accident. Most wells are drilled a 
few feet deeper than the water vein in order to form a reservoir for 
the water and whatever sediment it may contain. 

RELATION' OF PURITY OF WATER TO DEPTH OF WELL. 

The prevailing idea in regard to purity, as in regard to volume 
and head, is that deep waters are best. This is generally true, for 
the reason that shallow waters are usually in unconsolidated de- 
posits, and not being protected by impervious rocks or clay they 
are more likely to be polluted by surface drainage. A deep rock 
well is nearly always to be recommended where pure drinking water 
is desired. 

When water is needed for industrial purposes the problem is some- 
what different. While water from a depth is generally free from 
surface pollution, it often contains considerably more mineral matter 
in the form of incrusting constituents and is generally harder than 
most surface waters. In Maine, however, few waters are so hard 
as to prevent their use for laundries and boilers. 

DEPTH OF WELLS IX SOUTHERN MAINE. 

In the region covered by this report the drilled wells range in 
depth from 20 to more than 800 feet. Only a few, however, are 
more than 500 feet deep. Out of 500 wells in Professor Bayley's list 
(see pp. 242-259) which are more than 50 feet deep only six exceed 
500 feet. In order to show the common depth of wells in various 
parts of southern Maine the following table has been prepared. 
Only drilled wells more than 50 feet deep are here considered. 

Number of wells of different depths in southern Maine. 



County. 


Between 
50 and 
100 feet. 


Between 
100 and 
200 feet. 


Betvv'een 
200 and 
300 feet. 


Between 
300 and 
400 feet. 


Between 
400 and 
500 feet. 


More 

than 500 

feet. 


Total 
number 
reported 

more 
than 50 

feet. 


Androscoggin 


5 
44 

2 
47 
16 

7 
31 

4 
39 

5 
26 

8 
29 


4 
30 


1 

22 






1 
2 


11 


Cumberland 


5 




103 


Franklin 







Hancock 


15 
15 

15 

20 

4 

13 

1 

19 
2 

9 


6 
3 

7 
2 




1 


1 
1 
1 


71 


Kennebec 


38 


Knox 




33 


Lincoln 




54 


Oxford 






s 


I'eno! )Scot 


4 




1 




58 


Somerset 




6 


Waldo 


io 


2 






59 


Washington 


1 





12 


York 


3 


45 






• 


263 


147 


58 


19 


3 


6 


500 



DEPTH TO PRINCIPAL WATER SUPPLY. 



In parts of the country where water occurs in definite beds it is 
possible to predict the depth at which it will be found by calculation 



58 



UNDERGKOUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 



from knowledge of the lay of the rocks and the altitude of the surface. 
In Elaine, however, the water occurs at no definite depth, and all 
statements as to the distance below the surface at which it will be 
found must be expressed only as probabilities. Professor Bayley, 
in compiling the well records, made an effort to obtain figures giving 
the depth of the principal water supply below the well mouth. It 
was possible to obtain these figures for more than half the wells; in 
the rest the depth to the water vein was not known by the owners. 
In order to make comparison of the depths at which the principal 
supply was found in various parts of the State the following table has 
been prepared, giving the depths of the principal water bed as found 
in the several counties: 



Number of ivells in southern Maine obtaining principal water supply at stated depths. 



County. 


Between 

surface 

and 50 

feet. 


Between 
50 and 
100 feet. 


Between 
100 and 
200 feet. 


Between Between 
200 and 300 and 
300 feet. 400 feet, i 


^^'^*^^- reported. 


Androscoggin 


1 
6 


3 
19 

1 
35 

7 

10 
20 

2 
22 

7 

2 
10 

2 
12 


1 
14 


1 


i 5 


Cumberland 


9 


1 ' 49 


Franklin 


. .. . 1 


Hancock 


11 
4 
1 
6 
2 

11 
1 


7 

6 

11 

8 


1 

1 1 
1 


1 55 


Kennebec 


19 


Knox 


... 23 


Lincoln 


X4 


Oxford 


.. . . 4 


Penobscot 


2 

1 


3 

2 


1 39 


Sagadahoc 


n 


Somerset 


.... 2 


Waldo 


10 
1 
3 


6 


7 3 
1 


36 


Washington . . 


4 


York 


5 


2 1 


23 








57 


152 


61 


26 j 6 

1 i 


3 305 

1 



By reference to the table it will be seen that nearly three times as 
many w^ells drilled more than 50 feet obtain their principal vein of 
water between 50 and 100 feet from the surface as those which obtain 
it within 50 feet of the surface. More wells obtain water between 100 
and 200 feet than obtain it within 50 feet of the surface. The number 
encountering their principal water vein deeper than 200 feet, how- 
ever, diminishes rapidly with each 100 feet of depth. Hence it can 
be said that the principal water vein may in the greater number of 
w^ells be looked for between 50 and 100 feet below the surface; but no 
one prospecting for water should begin to get discouraged unless he 
drills more than 200 feet without finding water. 

Several exceptions can be made to the statements regarding the 
occurrence of the greatest number of water seams between 50 and 100 
feet from the surface. For instance, it wall be noticed that in Waldo 
County as many wells obtain water at depths less than 50 feet as 
between 50 and 100 feet, but that at the same time an equal number 



BECOVEEY OF UNDERGROUND WATER. 59 

obtain their largest supplies between 200 and 400 feet from the sur- 
face. Waldo Coimty is largely made up of slate, which seems to hold 
plenty of water, and in that section the principal supply is just as 
likely as not to be obtained at depths greater than elsewhere. The 
statement is believed to hold true for Penobscot County also, although 
in that county shallow wells have met with such success that few have 
been drilled much below 100 feet. A further discussion of the prob- 
able maximum depth of water is given under the descriptions of the 
different rocks. (See pp. 29-38.) 

DIAMETER OF WELL. 

By far the most common diaineter for drilled wells in this part of 
the country is 6 inches. Most drillers prefer to sink 6-inch holes, and 
the prices which they quote and those given in this report are for this 
size. For domestic use a sufficient supph' of water can generally be 
obtained from a 6-inch well, and it does not seem desirable, except in 
particular cases, to go to the additional expense of sinking an 8-inch 
or 10-inch well. A 4-inch well is likely to be too small to give satis- 
faction, but a few of that diameter have been drilled. 

Where a larger amount of water is needed, as in creameries, fac- 
tories, hotels, etc., an 8-inch well is frequently sunk. Most of the 
wells drilled for the United States Government at forts along the 
coast are 8 inches in diameter, although a few of them are 6 inches. 
For a number of city water supplies, large hotels, etc., 10-inch or 
12-inch wells have been drilled. These are expensive and ordinarily 
not desirable. Although theoretically they will yield a larger volume 
of water, it is not supposed that the amount of water stored in rocks 
in this State is sufficient to warrant many wells of this size. It is 
generally preferable to sink two or more smaller wells. In the early 
days of well drilling in Maine the business was not such an established 
one, and the wells were general^ of odd sizes. For that reason many 
wells of 5-inch, 7-inch, 9-inch, and other diameters are reported. 

Driven wells sunk for domestic purposes are generally from 11 to 
2h inches in diameter, and this size suffices for most purposes. Larger 
wells are sometimes driven, however. In some of the city water- 
works batteries of 30 or more 2^-inch driven wells are used. 

UNCERTAINTY OF RESULTS." 

^'The discovery of water by a given well in rocks of this State does 
not necessarily indicate that other wells drilled in the same neighbor- 
hood will likewise yield water. As a matter of fact, in several places 
dry wells and fairly successful wells are situated side by side. At 
North Haven, in Penobscot Bay, a well was drilled to a depth of 300 

a The three paragraphs within quotation marks are from notes of Prof. W. S. Bayley. 



60 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

feet without finding water; while a second well, less than 50 feet dis- 
tant, encountered water at 60 feet under suflicient pressure to raise it 
-vWthin 14 feet of the surface. This well ^delds about 350 orallons a 
day. 

"Again, at PalmjTa, in Somerset County, tliree wells were drilled 
in slate. One was dry to a depth of 157 feet, at which depth the well 
was abandoned. A second, 70 feet distant, was drilled 80 feet, when 
it suddenly filled within 4 feet of the surface. It yields, however, but 
25 to 50 gallons daily. A tliird well, 170 feet from the second one, 
struck water at 60 feet and now pelds about 200 gallons daily. 

"In the Kittery-York district a well on the road between York 
Harbor and York Beach ^aelds 100 gallons an hom*, the water yein 
at a depth of 25 feet giving a pressure sufficient to driye the water 2 
feet aboye the surface. Xear by, on Cape Xeddick, only a few^ hun- 
dred yards from the flowing well, is another that was drilled to a con- 
siderable depth without encountering any water. A third well, at a 
slightly greater distance from the first, was drilled 87 feet, at which 
depth salt water was struck." 

Fortunately, however, the risk of missing water is not great. The 
nmnber of dry \vells reported is small. The rocks in .the southern 
part of the State (where most of the drilled wells are situated) are 
nearly all slaty, schistose, and much jointed rocks cut by granite and 
other igneous rocks. The foliation planes and joint cracks are 
numerous and closely spaced, so that a drill hole of even moderate 
length can scarcely avoid intersecting many of them. They afford 
abundant space for the storage of large quantities of water, but they 
yield it comparatively slowly. 

An important consequence of the manner of storage of w^ater in 
schistose and jointed rocks is that prophecies regarding the depth at 
which the water is to be found are valueless. In a gently folded 
region like Minnesota or Kansas an approximate estimate of the 
position of the porous w^ater-bearing bed is usually possible. In 
areas of crystalline or metamorphic rocks like Maine, on the other 
hand, each well is an independent problem. The hole is sunk until 
it strikes a crevice or a group of crevices yielding sufficient w^ater for 
the purpose needed, and the depth to which it must be sunk can not 
be foretold. In some wells water is encountered witliin 50 feet of the 
surface; in others only at much greater depths. 

PROPORTION OF SUCCESSFUL WELLS. 

An earnest effort has been made to obtain accurate information 
regarding the proportion of wells drilled which are successful. Such 
an estimate is difficult to obtain for several reasons. In the fii'st 
place, most well drillers are naturalh^ inclined to be optimistic and 
report few if any failures. Second, real failures are likely to be for- 



RECOVEEY OF UNDERGROUND WATER. 



61 



gotten by residents of a community, and it is hard to get track of 
them. Third, there is no agreement between undergromid- water 
experts, well drillers, and o\Miers as to what really constitutes a suc- 
cessful well. In several instances the United States Government has 
been known to abandon a well for the reason that its supply was 
only 10 to 20 gallons a minute. Large hotels have abandoned 
wells for the same reason. For ordinary domestic purposes, however, 
a well \\dth this capacity is called very successful, and even 1 or 2 
gallons a minute \\'ill usually suffice for a single family. If less water 
than tliis is obtained, the well is generalh^ ranked as a failure. 

As stated above, most well drillers report no failures. A few of the 
most experienced drillers report one or two wells in a hundred that 
do not }4eld sufficient water. In many instances there is a disagree- 
ment between the driller and the o^vner, owdng to the fact that the well 
produced a fair amount of water when the vein was first pierced, but 
by the time the bill had been paid and the driller had moved to some 
other town the water gave out. Cases like this are due to the water 
occiu'ring in pockets. For this reason some of the more experienced 
and reliable drillers mil not leave a well until after waiting a sufficient 
time to determine whether the supply is likely to be permanent. 

In the following table a successful well is considered as one that 
supplies enough water for ordinary domestic use, generally a gallon 
a minute. In compiling the table all wells more than 50 feet in 
depth in which the type of rock was known were considered. The 
unsuccessful wells include both those in which little water was found 
and those in which the water was of very inferior quality. 

Proportion of successful wells in southern Maine. 



Type of rock. 




Number 
of unsuc- 
cessful 
wells. 



Total 
number I I'ercent- 



of wells 
consid- 
ered. 



age suc- 
cessful. 



Granite 

Gneiss 

Slate 

Schist 

Trap and greenstone 
Ck)mplex 



2 

a 23 

3 

3 



59 
14 
214 
37 
13 
48 



86 
86 
88 
92 
77 
87 



45 



385 



88 



a Including six wells ruined ])y entrance of sea water. 
b Including one well ruined by entrance of sea water. 

It will be seen that, aside from the trap and greenstone wells, the 
percentage of successful wells was from 86 to 92, the average being 88. 
On account of the factors mentioned in the preceding paragraph, 
however, this is possibly somewhat overestimated. It is evident that 
trap and greenstone are the poorest rocks in this State in which to 
drill. If the six slate wells ruined bv salt water should be included 



62 ■ U^^DERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

with the succossl'iil wells, the percentage of probable success by drill- 
ingin slate would become 93, agreeing very well with the percentage 
for schist. 

CAPACITY OF WELLS. 

As very few wells in Maine are pumped by power, and as fewer of 
these are operated continuously or more than several hours at a time, 
it is difficult to make any definite generalization regarding the amount 
of water which they will yield. The best that can be done is to state 
the maximum and minimum amounts obtained and the most com- 
mon reports of the }deld in gallons a minute. Some of these reports 
are based on onh" a few minutes' pumping; in other cases the wells 
haye been operated as a test for several hours or days continuously. 
Probably the majority of wells in Maine yield less than 5 gallons of 
water a minute. There are, however, many reports of yields as high 
as 10 or 20 gallons a minute, and a number of wells where more than 
50 gallons a minute have been obtained for several hours continu- 
ously. A few yields of 100 to 200 gallons a minute are reported, but 
such high amounts can not be vouched for, as the exact conditions 
under which the test was made are unknown. One of the greatest 
factors in the reported capacity of the well is obviously the capacity 
of the pump used. 

INCREASE IN YIELD. 

In some wells the capacity increases with age. This is due to the 
fact that a newly drilled well contains at its bottom much fine mate- 
rial derived from the drilling, which tends to clog up the pores and 
water veins in the rock. As time passes this material is washed out, 
and the yield of the well becomes larger. Instances of such increases 
in yield are the well of the Penobscot Coal and Wharf Company at 
Searsport, that of the Maine Insane Hospital at Widows Island, and 
some wells in the town of Standish. In one well in Standish, drilled 
ten years ago, not more than half a gallon a minute could be obtained 
at first, but it has now increased in yield so that it can not be 
pumped dry. 

DECREASE IN YIELD. 

It is not uncommon for wells to decrease in yield some time after 
they are drilled. The change may begin to take "place shortly after 
the well is first used, or it may not begin for years. In the former case 
it is generallv due to the fact that pockets of water were struck, 
rather than permanent veins. In the latter case it may be due to 
several causes. Sometimes, when a drilled well is supplied largely 
by surface water, a single dry season will have a great effect on its 
yield. Some shallow drilled wells vary greatly according to the 
month of the year, but the best deep wells are supplied from sources 



USES OF UNDEEGROUND WATER. 68 

which can not be affected by changes in a single season, though some- 
times a series of years in which the rainfall is below normal will affect 
these wells. In other wells the decrease in volume of water may be 
due simply to the gradual draining of the subterranean reservoir, and 
some such wells may never recover their original capacity. Usu- 
ally when a newly drilled well has been carefully tested by the drillers 
and reported to yield several gallons of water a minute, and this 
capacity continues for several da^^s, it is safe to regard the well as a 
success. It is never wise to let the driller depart until it is reason- 
ably certain that the water does not come from pockets. 

INTEREFFECT OF WELLS. 

An interesting study could be made of the effect of neighboring 
wells upon one another, and such a study would be of great benefit 
to the inhabitants of a region and would increase the knowledge of 
conditions under which underground waters occur. The well at Fos- 
ter's dyehouse at Portland is 140 feet deep in slate, and several water 
beds were penetrated. AYlien a second well was drilled about 600 
feet distant the water level in the dyehouse well was depressed about 
.3 feet. 

In J. C. Rogers's granite quarry near Stonington two wells were 
drilled to depths of 94 and 279 feet. These wells are naturally con- 
nected by a joint crack about 60 feet from the surface. By pumping 
the 94-foot well water can be drawn from both. The capacity is 60 
gallons a minute. The wells of the Southwest Harbor Water Com- 
pany are situated 36 feet apart and are connected 90 feet from the 
surface. 

At Dark Harbor, in the town of Islesboro, Charles Pendelton sunk 
a well to a depth of 88 feet. At a later date a well Avas sunk 16 feet 
distant, on the Allen property, and in half an hour from the time 
water was struck in the Allen well the vield of the Pendelton well 
dirninished to such an extent that it would pump down so as to suck 
air. The Pendelton well was then deepened to 140 feet and encoun- 
tered a large volume of water which supplied both wells. Water will 
now rise within 5 feet of the surface in both, but the greater part of 
the water in Allen's well is supplied from Pendelton' s. The rock is 
much broken up at this place, and in the Pendelton well the drill was 
very nearly lost in a crack at a depth of about 80 feet. 

USES OF UNDERGROUND WATER. 

The prevailing use of both well and spring waters in Maine is for 
drinking and other domestic purposes and for watering stock. Spring 
and well waters are used for the public supplies of many villages, and 
well water is used in boilers of locomotives or manufacturing: estab- 



64 UXDERGROUXD WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

lishnients, there bein^: little water in Maine that drives too much scale 
for this purpose. Several creameries use water for cooling cream, 
and pulp mills use it for cooling acid. In granite quarries, especiallv 
on the islands, the water problem is an important one, and in several 
places well drilling has met with success. In addition to the ordi- 
nary uses of water, certain spring waters have value as "mineral 
waters." They are put on the market and shipped to distant cen- 
ters, or the springs are made sites for summer hotels, thus contributing 
to the health of the country and to the wealth of the State. 

COST OF WELL DRILLING. 

The cost is necessarily an important factor in the sinking of wells. 
It varies with the locality, the kind of rock, and other conditions. 
For a rock well under 30 feet in depth the cost of drilled and open 
wells is about the same. A shallow well in drift may be cheaper if 
dug than if drilled, but in general drilled wells are the cheapest if they 
are carried do^vn more than a few feet. Of all types the cheapest is 
the driven weU, and this type is recommended wherever practicable. 
Such wells can be sunk to moderate depths through sand, fine gravel, 
and clay for SIO to S20. 

The cost of drilled wells is very variable, depending on the locality 
and the kind of rock. In Aroostook County, where the rocks are 
rather soft slate, the cost is only S2 a foot in surface deposits and $1 
in ledge, cased to rock and the casing furnished. Xear Bangor, 
where the rock is slate, the charge is S3 per foot for the first 50 feet, 

54 for the second 50 feet, and S5 for every foot below 100. This price 
includes the casing. A well 247 feet deep at Bangor cost S940 : the 
windmill cost S66 and the pump S45. At other places in Penobscot 
Count}' the price is S3 a foot straight, and in some towns it is less. In 
Lincoln County, in the area of complex, the common charge is S3. 50 a 
foot, but some wells have been drilled for less. On account of the 
expense of drilling, it is possible that the price in this section may be 
raised. At Bucksport, in Hancock County, a well 308 feet in depth 
cost 81,540 and a steam pumping plant cost S360. 

Wells on the islands cost more than those on the mainland. In Lin- 
coln County island wells cost S6 a foot. In Hancock County, where 
the rock is largely granite, the cost is generally S4 on the mainland and 

55 on the islands. Most drillers charge 86 in granite. Blasted wells, 
only a few feet deep, are 84 a foot. On Widows Island, near North 
Haven, a well 109 feet deep cost $525; and a gasoline engine and 
pump SI 77. In Islesboro, Avhere more drillmg has been done than 
in any town in ^Laine, the charge is S3 a foot, but drillers will not set 
up their machines without an agreement to drill at least 50 feet. 

In AVashinj^ton Countv, where little drilling: has been done, the 
cost is 86 a foot. At Portland and vicintiv it is S4 a foot in drift and 



NOTES ON WELL DEILLING IN MAINE. 65 

$4 to $6 in rock. A 151-foot ^Yell on Cape Elizabeth cost $752, the 
pump $246, and a 40,000-gallon tank $900. A well 120 feet deep on 
Peaks Island cost $450 and a hot-air engine and deep-well pump $400. 
On Diamond Island a 96-foot well cost $500. In York County the 
price is generally about $6 a foot. In the vicinity of Winthrop, Ken- 
nebec County, where the rock is slate, the price has been raised from 
$3 to $5 a foot. The lower price ought to be sufficient here, as it is in 
most of the slate areas. 

NOTES ON WELL DRILLING IN MAINE. 

GENERAL STATEMENT. 

As drilled wells are becoming more and more necessary in Maine, 
and as well drilling constitutes a considerable industry, which bene- 
fits the community at large, it seems important to include here a brief 
discussion of certain aspects of drilling that are not understood or 
appreciated by everyone. 

RELATION TO KIND OF ROCK. 

Speed of drilling. — The speed of drilling in Maine varies from a few 
inches to 30 feet a da}^, depending on the kind of machine, character 
of rock, abundance of joint cracks, etc. 

With a good machine an experienced man can drill a 6-inch hole 
an average distance of 5 feet a day. In granite, however, 5 feet is 
usually the maximum daily performance, and sometimes a ver}^ hard, 
fine-grained phase of the rock is struck in which the drill will not go 
more than 1 foot a day. These hard portions of the rock are generally 
aplite dikes. In the slates of southern Maine the speed of drilling 
varies with the nature of the rock, ranging as a rule from 2 to 14 feet 
a day, though in southern Aroostook County, where the slate is 
softer, it averages 20 feet. One 4riller claims to have sunk a slate 
well 44 feet deep in eight hours, but this record is exceptional. Quartz 
seams in slate retard the speed of the drill. 

A well on House Island, near Portland, drilled in metamorphic 
slate or schist, is said to have been deepened 35 feet in one night. In 
the 196-foot well of the Warren Water Company the average speed 
was 3 feet and the fastest 9 feet a day. As a rule, the finer the grain 
of the rock the harder it is to drill. In schist and metamorphic 
slates the drilling is much slower where they stand on edge than 
where they are flat. PL X, B, shows a dike of granite in slate, illus- 
trating how differences in type of rock may affect the speed of drilling. 

K^ect of joint cracks. — Where joint cracks are parallel to the 
surface, or nearly so, they seldom affect the ease of drilling. Where 
they dip at a high angle, especially in the harder rocks, drilling 
becomes less easy. Frequently tools become stuck in the rock and 

59969— IRR 228—09 5 



66 ITNDKHCJUOrND WATERS OF SOUTHKKN MAINE. 

much time and labor are wasted in recovering them. At other times 
the bit will strike the hard, smooth surface of the rock and glance 
oil' to one side, making a crooked hole. In such cases stones and 
occasionally scraps of soft n*on are thrown into the hole and blasted 
with dynamite, breaking up the rock so as to give the drill a hold 
on it. Sometimes it is necessary to abandon such wells and make a 
second attempt. The slates of Penobscot County have few trouble- 
some joints, and in them drilling is relatively eas}^. Most of the 
crooked holes have been sunk b}^ inexperienced drHlers. In some 
wells in granite and other hard rock the drilling is reported to '^ sharpen 
the drill." Other types of rocks cut the drill to pieces. 

CASING FOR DRILLED AVELLS. 

Methods of casing. — Property constructed drilled wells are so cased 
that absolutely no surface water can enter the well. It is rarely 
necessaiy or desirable to case rock wells far into the rock, but the 
casing should always be driven through the surface deposits and 
several feet into the bed rock. If a tight joint is not made with the 
bed rock an opportunity is furnished for polluted surface water to 
enter between the casing and the rock. In Government wells the 
casing is generally driven 12 feet into the ledge. If the bed rock is 
within a few feet of the surface, it is well to dig around the outside 
of the casing and cement it firmly to the rock. 

PL IX, B, shows a type of weU which is seen far too often. The 
top of the casing is not even attached firmly to the pump or covered 
over, but is open in such a way that surface drainage or small animals 
might easily enter it. The owners of such unprotected wells are 
advised to close the pipes at the surface. Pis. Y, B, and IX, A, 
show the proper method of protecting the well by a coating of cement. 

Kind of casing. — Galvanized iroji pipe is commonly used for casing 
wells, and as a rule is serviceable. In some places in Maine, how- 
ever, the galvanized iron imparts a very disagreeable taste to the 
water, making it unfit for drinking. The w^ater, through some acid 
property, attacks the pipe, eating pin holes through it, and the well 
has to be abandoned or recased. Generally ordinary iron pipe is 
free from this disadvantage, but in places trouble is experienced with 
this also. Block-tin pipe, though expensive, is as a i-ule little acted 
on by water. A well at New Harbor, in Lincoln County, was first 
cased with galvanized iron, but the taste of the water was too strong. 
A change was then made to a block-tm pipe, but the water ate pin 
holes in it and finally wooden pipe had to be put in. An example 
of the trouble caused by the use of galvanized iron is furnished by the 
experience of the Rumford Falls Water and Power Company. (See 
p. .184.) 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE X 




A. SLATY ROCK ALONG THE COAST, CHRISTMAS COVE, 
Showing nature of rock in wliich poor water of that vicinity is found. 




U. OUTCROP OF ROCK ALONG COAST, FORTUNE ROCK, BIDDEFORD. 
Showing alternation of hard and soft layers. 



NOTES ON WELL DRILLING IN MAINE. 67 

INJURY TO WELLS BY SEA WATER. 

At a number of places along the Maine coast, especially on the 
islands, ocean water has entered through crevices in the rock and 
mingled with the well water to such an extent that the well has had 
to be abandoned. As a rule trouble with salt water occurs where 
the rock is slate. In a few places, however, salt-water wells have 
been obtained in granite. A well owned by Mrs. Kiesel in the town 
of Islesboro obtained good water at 181 feet from thie surface, but 
drilling was continued, and at 220 feet salt water was encountered. 
The well was filled with Portland cement to a depth of about 200 feet 
from the top, the sea water being thus shut out, and the water was 
reported of good quality in 1906. 

In other wells fresh water is first obtained, but after continued 
pumping the water becomes salt. Such was the case in the Thorp 
well on Greenings Island, off Mount Desert, which rises and falls 
with the tide. The water in the R. A. Fosswell in Scarboro, 200 
feet deep and situated 200 or 300 feet from salt water, was good for a 
month, but then became salty. 

An interesting well is that of the Consolidated Electric Light Com- 
pany of Maine, at Portland. In 1887 this well was drilled 136 feet 
and obtained good water. Like the Kiesel well, it was deepened in 
the hope of getting a larger supply, and salt water was encountered. 
The total depth of the weU was 204 feet. In 1890 it was plugged. 
The plugging shut off much of the magnesium carbonate and calcium 
carbonate content of the water and increased the sodium chloride 
considerably. 

An example of the entrance of sea water occurs in the town of 
Sorrento, which lies on a small neck jutting out from the mainland 
opposite Sullivan. The slate on this neck is very hard, dense, and 
fine grained and breaks up on the weathered outcrop into small 
angular blocks a few inches square. The strike and dip of the strata 
are variable. In some places the cleavage agrees with the stratifica- 
tion, but in others it does not. Clay 5 to 10 feet thick overlies the 
slate along the shore, and it is probable that this would prevent the 
accumulation of much water on the surface of the peninsula. The 
outcrops along the coast show that the rock is deeply fissured by 
wave action, some vertical cracks a foot or more across running in 
for a distance of several feet. As some of the fissures are inclined 
toward the south, it is probable that the sea water enters the rock on 
the north side of the peninsula and makes its way far below the 
surface into weUs. This will explain why the only two wells drilled 
on the peninsula were failures, so far as fmding fresh water was con- 
cerned. PL X, A, gives an idea of the character of rock along the 
coast in which salt water is sometimes found. 



68 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

SHOOTING WELLS. 

In man}^ parts of the country, and particularly in the oil regions, 
it has been the custom for many years to explode heavy charges 
of nitroglycerin in the bottom of deep rock wells. This practice 
mcreases the yield of many of the wells enormously, greater amounts 
either of oil or of water being obtained. The increase in yield is due 
to the fracturing of the rock by the force of the explosion, cracks 
being formed in which the liquid can move more freely through the 
rock toward the well. 

In many regions water wells have been ''shot" with success, and 
this leads to the question whether that method might not be used 
in Maine. A few experiments have been tried by certain drillers, 
who have exploded charges at the bottom of deep wells. It is found 
that in a hard rock like granite the explosion will form small cracks, 
and in a few instances water has entered from a near-by seam and 
supplied the well. Softer rocks, however, Hke slate and schist, are 
little broken up, and definite cracks are not formed ; hence it is hardly 
worth while to shoot wells in these rocks. A crooked well drilled at 
Bath, 90 feet in depth, was shot with 75 pounds of dynamite, but it 
did no good. This well is situated in the area of complex. 

Dr. Charles G. Weld, of North Haven, has two successful wells 12 
feet apart, 114 and 140 feet deep. These wells were connected by 
exploduig torpedoes at a depth of 114 feet in both of them. 

A number of crooked holes have been straightened by shooting. 
A promiaent well driller has informed the writer that an explosion of 
dynamite in a crooked hole is frequently much better than reaming 
it. Generally 75 to 150 pounds of dynamite are used. The explo- 
sion makes ver}^ little shock, but sometimes scatters water and 
pebbles several hundred feet from the well. 

DATE OF DRILLING. 

Study of the well records given in Professor Bayley's table 
(pp. 242-259) shows that nearly half the wells in southern ^laiae 
have been sunk within the last decade. In the farming regions of the 
State drilling has been largely a necessity, and for that reason con- 
siderable was done as early as the eighties, and the number of wells 
drilled annually does not seem to have uicreased materially since 
then. But in the summer-resort regions, which are mostly situated 
on or near the coast, the greater part of the drilling has been done 
since 1899. There was some drilling in these sections as early as 1890, 
but during the early nineties few wells were put do\\Ti on account of 
the general industrial depression of the country. The following table 
has been compiled from the well records in order to give an idea of 
the relative number of wells drilled in each decade : 



PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 69 

Number of wells drilled in southern Maine, by decades. 

Before 1880 2 

1880-1889 72 

1890-1899 133 

1900-1906 183 

390 

The total is less than the number of drilled wells reported in the 
table, for the reason that many owners or drillers have failed to 
report the year in which their wells were drilled. 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

GENERAL STATEMENT. 

Classification of sources. — Public water supplies in Maine are 
drawn in part from surface sources, including rivers, streams, and 
ponds, and in part from springs and wells. Some of the surface 
sources are so situated that the water is of good quality. Springs 
are good when they are properly situated, and wells are always desir- 
able if they are deep and properly cased. Several towns use more 
than one of these sources, and some communities have changed from 
surface to underground supplies or vice versa. 

OwnersMp of public water systems. — ^A preliminary list of the cities 
and villages possessing water-supply systems was given by W. S. 
Bayley in 1905,'* the lists being obtained through correspondence. 
During the summer of 1906 several months of field work was done by 
the writer, and the lists were enlarged considerably. The following 
paragraphs in quotation marks are from the notes of Professor 
Bayley: 

''As a result of the investigations, the water systems of the State 
fall into three groups with reference to ownership. The first and 
most numerous group is that owned by incorporated stock companies; 
a second group embraces those owned by private parties; and a third 
group includes those owned by cities or town corporations or by 
water districts. The third group embraces the smallest number of 
systems, but they are the largest, since they include the systems sup- 
plying the largest communities. As a rule the service is managed 
directly by the corporate officers in villages, or by water commis- 
sioners in cities. 

"In recent years another method of management has come into 
vogue. When a community has reached the limit of its borrowing 
capacity, or is too small to warrant the construction of an independ- 
ent system, a water district is formed, usually embracing two or more 
distinct municipalities, but perhaps including only a portion of a single 

a Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 114, 1905, pp. 40-47. 



70 UXDERGROU^'D WATEES OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

one. The affairs of the district are managed by a board of trustees 
chosen by the officers of the municipahties interested. The water 
rates are estabhshed by these trustees, and the profits arising from 
the operation of the phmt, after paying running expenses and pro- 
viding a certam sum for the maintenance of a smking fund, are 
turned into the treasuries of the municipahties. 

History. — ''Until recently nearly all the public supplies of Maine 
were obtained from surface sources, such as lakes and streams. In 
recent years, however, because of the increasing difficulty of finding 
uncontaminated surface supplies, there has been a tendency to utilize 
the underground resources wherever possible. Many villages situated 
m the rural districts have always used spring water, which is con- 
veyed to them in pipes, and in many places small groups of houses 
are supplied in the same way, but these systems have usually been 
owned by private parties and not by public corporations. In late 
years there has been a rapid increase in the number of public systems 
furnishing spring water. It is plain, however, that since springs are 
limited in capacity, the size and number of communities which can 
depend on them for their pubhc supply must likewise be limited. 
When this hmit is reached recourse must be had to wells, if an under- 
ground supply is desired, or to lakes if suitable ones are within reach." 

Comparative use of various sources. — With reference to their sources 
of supply the communities have been grouped under three heads — 
those obtaining water from springs, those using wells, and those 
supphed by rivers, streams, and lakes. Nearly aU the large cities 
use lake water, as this is found to be more satisfactory than river 
water, because the great quantity of waste matter discharged into the 
streams from factories and the numerous settlements along their 
banks often renders them unfit for domestic use. Of the larger 
communities, only Bangor, Biddeford, and Saco continue to draw 
their supplies from streams. Augusta, Waterville, and Rumford 
Falls have recently changed from rivers to lakes, and Brunswick 
from a lake to wells. Several others of the smaller communities 
are agitating a change from rivers to lakes or wells, and the trend 
of opinion in Bangor is to the effect that Penobscot River must soon 
be abandoned. 

The accompanying lists contain 151 names of communities that 
are receiving water distributed through pipes and delivered in 
houses. Of these, 29 obtain their supply from springs, 13 from wells, 
and 109 from surface sources. The names of several of these com- 
munities are duplicated, as a few receive their water from two 
sources, and others are at present changing from one source to 
another. Exclusive of duplicates, the number of communities 
purchasing water distributed through pipes is 148. The lists 
give the most important data that have been collected with 



PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 



71 



respect to the water-supply systems in the southern part of the 
State. They are beheved to contain the names of practically all 
the communities enjoying water service, but a few communities may 
have been overlooked. 

Relative ^merits of sources. — The choice between a surface and an 
underground source of supply for any community must be controlled 
by several factors. In the first place, not all communities are so 
situated that the most desirable source of supply is near at hand. In 
certain districts it is almost impossible to obtain a good water supply. 
In others it is necessary to use streams which are contaminated by 
sewage and manufacturing wastes from towns situated farther up- 
stream. Many of these commimities may be situated in places 
where no adequate underground supply can be obtained, and such 
is especially the case with large cities for the reason that the yield 
of wells always has a maximum limit. Where the quantity of 
water from wells is not sufficient it is generally necessary to resort 
to surface sources, even though the water may not be as pure as 
desired. In all cases the quality of the water should be considered 
first, as on this depends the health of the people who drink it. An- 
other feature which must be considered in certain districts is the 
amount of mineral matter contained in the water. Where the supply 
is desired largely for boilers or manufacturing purposes the amount 
of contained lime and other dissolved matter should be small, but 
in Maine this factor is generally not high enough to render the water 
detrimental. 



COMMUNITIES USING WELL SUPPLIES. 

There are 13 communities in southern Maine which obtain their 
public water supplies from driven or drilled wells. All these supplies 
are believed to be of excellent quality. The communities are enu- 
merated in the following table, and the owners, sources, and methods 
of distribution are given for convenience of reference. A full de- 
scription of these water supplies is given under the county headings. 

Water systems in southern Maine using wells as sources of public supply. 



No. 


Community. 


County. 


Popula- 
tion. 


Owner. 


1 


Brunswick 


Cumberland 


5,210 
936 


Brunswick and Topsham water dis- 
trict. 
Castine Water Co 


?. 


Castine 


Hancock 


3 


Cushins Island 


Cumberland 


Francis Gushing. 


4 


Great Diamond Island. . 
East Northfjort 


do 


450 
150 
100 
500 
2, 595 
2,000 
720 


Diamond Island Association. 


5 


Waldo 


Mountain Spring Water Co. 
Village corporation. 
C. E. Rounds Water Co 


6 


Hancock Point 


Hancock . . 


7 


Peaks Island 


Cumberland 


8 


Rumford Falls 


Oxford.. 


Rumford Falls Light & Water Co. 
Sanford Light and Water Co. 
Southwest Harbor Water Co 


9 


Sanford 


York.. . 


10 


Southwest Harbor 

Topsham 


Hancock.. 


11 


Sagadahoc .... 


Brunswick and Topsham water dis- 
trict. 
W^arren W^ater Go 


12 


Warren 


Knox 


2,069 


13 


Winthrop 


Kennebec . . 


Winthrop Gold Spring Water Co. 


__ 







72 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Water systems in southern Maine using wells as sources of public supply — Continued. 



No. Source. 


Quality. 


Method of distribution. 


1 
o 


50 driven wells 


Soft. 


Pumped into reservoir. 
Reservoir 


Drilled wells 


do 


8 


do 


do 


Tank on hill 


4 


..do 


Hard.... 


Pumped into reservoir. 
Do. 


5 


Drilled well and springs 


Soft.. 


fi 


Old mine shaft 

Drilled wells 


do 




7 





Do. 



s 

9 

10 
11 
12 



75 driven wells 

Dug and driven well. 

2 drilled wells Soft... 

50 driven wells ! do 

Drilled well I do 



Soft < Pumped to standpipe. 

Reser\'oir. 



13 Drilled wells Hard.... 



Pumped to standpipe. 
Pumped to reserv^oir. 
Pumped by windmill and gasoline en- 
gine to reseiToir. 
Pumped to reservoir by windmills. 



COMMUNITIES USING SPRING SUPPLIES. 

More than twice as many villages draw their water supply from 
springs as from wells. These, 29 in number, are enumerated in the 
following table, and the o^\Tiers, sources, and methods of distribution 
of water are given for convenience of reference. A full description 
of these supplies will be found under the appropriate county descrip- 
tions. 

Water systems in southern Maine obtaining public supplies from springs. 



No. 



Cominunitv 



1 Addison Point . 

2^ Bingham 

3l Bolsters Aiills.. 
4 i Brooks 



9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 



Countv. 



Popula- 
tion. 



Owner. 



Washington. 

Somerset 

Cumberland. 
Waldo 



150 
800 



Casco 

Cherrj'field 

East Northport 

Farming ton Palls 

Friendship 

HaUowell 

Harrington , 

Lamoine 

Lisbon Center 

Lisbon FaDs , 

Lubec 

Milbridge 

North New Portland... 

North Waterboro 

Orrington 

Paris Hill 

Ridlonville 

Searsmont 

Skowhegan 

Stratton 

Union 

Vienna 

Winthrop 

Yarmouth 

Yarmouthville 



Cumberland . . 
AVashington.. 

Waldo 

Franklin 

Knox 

Kennebec 

Washington.. 

Hancock 

Androscoggin . 

do 

Washington. . 

do 

Somerset 

York 

Penobscot 

Oxford 

do 

Waldo 

Somerset 

Franklin . .' 

Knox 

Kennebec 

do 

Cumberland.. 
do 



300 
100 

'3," 666' 
200 

300 
2,714 
1,200 

"'166' 

1,585 



360 
230 

"'25i 
143 

'6,' 666 
"i,'666 



1,000 



Addison Point Aqueduct Co. 
J. J. Lander et al. 
Alfred R.Clark. 

Consolidated Water Co., of New Hamp- 
shire. 
S. O. Hancock. 
Several small systems. 
Norton Spring Water Co. 
Stock company. 
Friendship Water Co. 
City of Hallowell. 
Two aqueduct companies. 
Cold Spring "\^'ater Co. 

Sylvester Aqueduct Co. 
Town of Lubec. 
Milbridge Water Co. 

Chase & .Johnson. 

Paris Hill Water Co. 
Shaw-Ridlon Land Co. 
L. B. Cobb <L- Son. 
Several aqueduct companies. 

Union Water Co. 

Several well systems. 
Town of Yannouth. 
Do. 



PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 73 

Water systems in southern Maine obtaining public supplies from springs — Continued. 



No. 



1 
2 
3 

4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 



Source. 



Quality. 



Spring 1 mile distant Soft Direct pressure. 

Several springs .do Do. 

2 springs near by Do. 

Spring 2 miles distant "Hard" Do. 

Soft 

Springs near by do. . 

Well and springs do.. 

Springs near by do.. 

Springs do.. 

Springs on Winthrop Hill do : Direct pressure. 

Springs not far from town i do Do. 

Springs do Pumped to reserv^oir by windmill 

do 



Method of distribution. 



Do. 

Reservoir. 

Direct pressure. 

From tank pumped by windmill. 



2 springs 

Marston's spring 

2 springs 

Springs 



Soft Direct pressure. 

do Direct to standpipe. 

do I Direct pressure. 



Soft 



Soft. 



Whidden Jpring 

Crocker Hill Springs 

Springs 

Dyer's spring ' 

Springs ! Soft... 

do I 

2 springs IJ miles distant Soft . . 

Springs 

Springs and wells j Soft. . . 

Forest Paper Co.'s spring I do. 

do ) do. 



Do. 

Do. 

Do. 
Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Standpipe. 
Do. 



COMMUNITIES USING SURFACE SUPPLIES. 

Of the 148 communities having pubhc water supphes in the south- 
ern part of the State, 109 use water from lakes, ponds, rivers, or 
brooks. In a description of underground-w^ater supphes it is impor-- 
tant for purposes of comparison to record what communities are 
using surface sources. Moreover, tow-ns sometimes change from 
surface to underground sources or vice versa. For these reasons a 
table of the communities using surface sources is appended. 

Water systems in southern Maine obtaixiing public supplies from, surface sources. 



No. 


Commimity. 


County. 


Popula- 
tion. 


Owner. 


Source. 


1 


Asticon 

Auburn 

Augusta 

Bangor 

Bar Harbor 

Bath 

BavAillo 

Belfast 


Hancock 

Androscoggin 

Kennebec 

Penobscot 

Hancock 

Sagadahoc 

Lincoln 

Waldo 


50 
12,951 
11,683 

21,850 
2,500 

10,477 

57 

4,615 




Jordans Pond 


2 
3 


Auburn Aqueduct Co 


Lake Auburn. 
Lake Cobbossee- 


4 


Public Works Co 


contee. 
Penobscot River. 


5 
6 


Bar Harbor Water Co 

Maine Water Co 


Eagle Lake. 
Lake Nequasset. 
Adams Pond 


7 




8 


Belfast Water Co 


Little River 


9 


Belgrade 


TCennpbfc 


Belgrade Water Co 

Kennebec water district... 
Bethel Water Co 


Belgrade Lake. 
China Lake 


in 


Benton 


do 




11 


Bethel 


Oxford 

York 

Lincoln 

Penobscot 

Oxford 

Hancock 

Kno.x 

Cumberland 


722 
16,14.5 

2,000 

4,&35 

379 


Chapman Brook. 


12 


Biddeford 


Biddeford and Saco Water 
Co. 


13 


Boothbay Harbor. 

Brewer 

Buckfield 

Bucksport 

Camdon 


Adams Pond. 


14 
15 


Public Works Co., Bangor. 


Penobscot River. 
South Pond. 


16 
17 


Bucksport Water Co 

Camden and Rockland 
Water Co. 

Portland water commis- 
sioners. 


Silver Lake. 


18 


Cape Elizabeth 


Sebago Lake. 









74 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Water systems in southern Maine obtaining public supplies from surface sources- — Cont'd. 



Community. . 



Coimty. 



Cape Noddick. . 
Cape Porpoise. . 
Chisholnis Mills. 
Damariscotta.. . 

Dexter 

East Lamoine. . 

Eastport 

Ellsworth 



Ellsworth Falls... 

Fairfield 

Falmouth F o r e- 

side. 
Farmingdale 



Farmington. 

Freeport 

Fryeburg 



Gardiner. 



Glencove 

Gorham 

Great Works. 
Hallowell 



Hartland 

Hastings 

Hebron 

Hulls Cove 

Kennebunkport . . . 

Kennebmik 

Kennebunk Beach. 
Kennebunk Land-, 
ing. 

Kittery 

Kittery Point 

Kingfield 

Lamoine Beach 

Lewiston 



Livennore Falls. 

Machias 

Madison 

Mechanic Falls . . 

Milford 

New Castle 

North Berwick. . 



Newport 

North Vassal boro. 
Northeast Harbor. 



Norway 

Oakland 

Ocean Bluff. 
Ogunquit. . . 
Old Orchard. 



01dto\\Ti. 

Orono 

Perry 

Phillips.. 
Pittsfield. 
Portland . 



Rangeley. . 
Randolph. 



Richmond. 
Rockland . 



Do.... 
Rockport. 

Rockville. 
Saco 



Seal Harbor. 



York 

do 

Franklin 

Lincoln 

Penobscot... 

Hancock 

Washington. 
Hancock 



do 

Somerset 

Cumberland . 

Kennebec... 



Franklin 

Cumberland. 
Oxford 



Kennebec. 



Knox 

Cumberland. 
Penobscot... 
Kennebec . . . 



Somerset. 
Oxford... 

do... 

Hancock . 

York 

do... 

do... 

do... 



do... 

do... 

Frankhn. 



Androscoggin . 
....do 



Washington.. 

Somerset 

Androscoggin . 

Penobscot 

Lincoln 

York 



Penobscot . 
Kennebec. 
Hancock.. 



Oxford 

Kennebec. 
York 

do.... 

do..-. 



Penob^oot. . . 

do 

WasMngton. 

Franklin 

Somerset 

Cumberland. 



Franklin.. 
Kennebec. 



Sagadahoc . 
Knox 



.do. 
.do. 



do. 

York.. 



Hancock. 



Popula- 
tion. 



Owner 



Source. 



164 
420 
800 



York Shore Water Co 

Mousain Water Co 

Livennore Falls Water Co. 
Twin Village Water Co... 



170 
5,311 
4,297 

400 

3,800 

175 



1,200 
759 
550 

5,501 

117 



2,714 



200 

500 

177 

2,100 



170 



1,500 

400 

700 

100 

23,760 

1,250 



1,850 
1,500 



850 
350 

2,034 

2,500 

375 



1,000 

5,763 
3,257 



674 

2,208 

50,145 

563 



8,150 

8,150 
2,314 

150 
6,122 

250 



Eastport Water Co.. 
Ellsworth Water Co. 

do 



Kennebec water district. 



Gardiner water district. 



Freeport waterworks. 
Fryeburg Water Co. . 



Gardiner water district. 
Gorham Water Co 



Linn Woolen Co. 



Hebron Water Co 

Bar Harbor Water Co. 

Mousam Water Co 

do 

do 

do 



Agamenticus Water Co... 
Kingfield Water Co 



Lewiston water commis- 
sioners. 

Livermore Falls Water 
Co. 

Machias Water Co 

Madison Water Co 

Mechanic Falls Water Co.. 

Public Works Co., Bangor. 

Twin Village Water Co 



Newport Water Co. 



Norway Water Co 

Oakland Water Co 

Mousam Water Co 

do 

Biddeford and Saco Wa- 
ter Co. 
Public Works Co., Bangor. 

do 

Eastport Water Co 

Moore & Gaming 

Pittsfi.eld waterworks 

Portland water commis- 



Gardiner water district 

Richmond waterworks 

Camden and Rockland 

Water Co. 

Rockland Water Co 

Camden and Rockland 

Water Co. 



Biddeford and Saco Wa- 
ter Co. 

Seal Harbor Water Sup- 
ply Co. 



Chase Pond. 
Monson River. 
Moose Hill Lake-. 
Little Pond: 
Dexter Pond. 
Blunts Pond. 
Boydens Pond. 
Branch Pond 
Stream. 
Do. 
China Lake. 
Sebago Lake. 

Cobbosse econtee 
Stream. 

Vamum Pond. 

Frost Galley Brook. 

Two brooks in Con- 
way, N. H. 

C b b s s eecontee 
Stream. 

Mirror Lake. 

Sebago Lake. 

Penobscot River. 

C b b s s eecontee 
Stream. 

Sebasticook River. 

Brook. 

Halls'Pond. 

Eagle Lake. 

Branch Brook. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 

Folly Pond. 

Do. 
Outlet Tufis Pond, 
Blimts Pond. 
Lake Auburn. 

Moose Hill Lake. 

Machias River. 
Kennebec River. 
Waterhouse Brook. 
Penobscot River. 
Little Pond. 
Stream supplied by 

springs. 
Pillsbury Pond. 
China Lake. 
Hodlock's Lower 

Pond. 
Norway Lake. 
Messalonskee Lake. 
Branch Brook. 

Do. 
Saco River. 

Penobscot River. 

Do. 
Boydens Lake. 
Mount Blue Pond. 
Sebasticook River. 
Sebago Lake. 

Cascade Brook. 
Cobbosseecontee 

Stream. 
Kennebec River.. 
Mirror Lake. 

LakeChickawaukee. 
Mirror Lake. 

Do. 
Saco River. 

Jordans Pond. 



COMPOSITION OF UKDERGEOUND WATERS. 75 

Water systems in southern Maine obtaining public supplies from surface sources — Cont'd. 



No. 

82 
83 
84 
85 

86 

87 



89 
90 
91 
92 
93 

94 
95 

96 
97 
98 

99 
100 
101 
102 
103 
104 

105 

106 
107 
108 
109 



Community. 



Searsport , 

Sorrento 

South Paris , 

South Portland 



County. 



Waldo 

Hancock 

Oxford 

Cumberland . 



South West Harbor Hancock . 



South Berwick 1 York 

Skowhegan Somerset. 



Southport 

Springvale 

Squirrel Island . . . 
Stockton Springs. 
Strong 



Sullivan 

Thomaston . 



Veazie 

Waterville. 
Westbrook . 



Lincoln . . 
York.... 
Lincoln . . 
Waldo... 
Franklin. 

Hancock. 
Knox 



Wells Beach 

West Kennebimk. 

Wilton 

Winnegance 

Winslow 

Winter Harbor 

Winterport 



Penobscot . . . 
Kennebec. . . 
Cumberland . 



York , 

do-... 

Franklin.. 
Sagadahoc. 
Kennebec. 
Hancock.. 



Waldo. 



Woolwich Sagadahoc . 

York York , 

York Corner do 

York Beach do 



Popula- 
tion. 



100 
1,457 

6,287 

720 

1,000 
4,266 



Owner. 



2,000 
50 



600 



2,600 



10,000 

7,283 



350 

2,000 

156 



600 



250 
500 



Estate of Frank Jones 

Norway Water Co 

Portland water commis- 
sioners. 

South West Harbor Wa- 
ter Co. 

South Berwick Water Co. 

Skowhegan waterworks . . 



Springvale Aqueduct Co. 
Strong Water Co 



Camden and Rockland 
Water Co. 

Public Works Co., Bangor. 

Kennebec water district. . . 

Portland water commis- 
sioners. 

Mousam Water Co , 

do 



Source. 



Kennebec water district. . . 
Grindstone Neck Water 
Co. 



Maine Water Co 

York Shore Water Co. 



York Shore Water Co. 



Half Moon Pond. 
Long Pond. 
Norway Lake. 
Sebago Lake. 

Long Pond. 

Two Brooks. 

Brook 1 mile from 
village (in part). 

Adams Pond. 

Littlefields Pond. 

Adams Pond. 

Half Moon Pond. 

Outlet of Day Moun- 
tain Pond. 

Long Pond. 

Mirror Lake. 

Penobscot River. 
China Lake. 
Sebago Lake. 

Branch Brook. 

Do. 
Varnums Pond. 
Lake Nequasset. 
China Lake. 
Birch Harbor Pond. 

West Branch Lowes 

Brook. 
Lake Nequasset. 
Chase Lake. 

Do. 

Do. 



COMPOSITION OF THE UNDERGROUND WATERS. 

GENERAL EXPLANATIONS. 

Classes of analyses. — The analyses reported in the table on pages 
77-87 include all chemical analyses (mineral analyses) of Maine well 
and spring waters that could be obtained. They may be grouped in 
four classes: 

(1) ''Field assays/' or approximate analyses of half-pint samples 
made in the field by F. G. Clapp, G. C. Matson, and B. L. Johnson, of 
the United States Geological Survey. 

(2) Analyses of 1-gallon samples shipped to Prof. F. C. Robmson, at 
Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Me., and analyzed by him. 

(3) Analyses made by W. W. Skinner, of the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, in connection with cooperative work between 
the Geological Survey and the Bureau of Chemistry. 

(4) Analyses made by other persons. 

The first group of analyses are designated ''assays" for the reason 
that they were made with a field outfit to obtain a general idea of the 
character of the water. ^ They do not pretend to be refined analyses, 
and are published only because it was impracticable, on account of 



aLeighton, M. O., Field assay of water: Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 151, 1905. 



76 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

expense, to make more than TO^analyses of the second group, and only 
10 of the third group had been made. 

In order that the reader may form a graphic idea of the proportions 
of the different ions in various rocks and locahties, the analyses of the 
second group have been plotted on Pis. TV, YI, and VIII. 

Be computation of analyses. — The analyses made by the United States 
Geological Survey are uniformly reported in ionic form and parts per 
million. Analyses obtained from miscellaneous sources, however, 
were originally given as parts per million, parts per 100,000, or grains 
per gallon, and were mostly reported in the form of the chemical 
compounds in which the minerals are supposed to exist. Chemical 
research shows that there is no certainty that the elements are com- 
bined in this form, the compounds given in most analyses being 
mainly theoretical. For this reason all analyses which were not 
expressed according to the standard method when received by the 
^^Titer were recomputed into ions and parts per million, and they 
are expressed in this form in the table. 

Omission of sanitary analyses. — Few sanitary analyses are included 
in this report, although hundreds of them have been made by the 
state board of health and other analysts. The reason for this omis- 
sion is that sanitar}^ analyses record only those constituents of a 
water which may be present by reason of its pollution or the entrance 
of organic matter in other ways. The substances reported in a mineral 
analysis of water, however, are wdth few exceptions, derived from 
materials dissolved from rocks or surface deposits, and are at all times 
nearh" the same for a given well or spring, varying only with the 
amount of rainfall, the height of the water level, or, in the case of 
a well, with the age of the well. The substances reported in a sani- 
tary analysis are chlorine, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates — substances 
that are formed during the decay of organic matter, and consequently 
are present in soils, sewage, and other wastes. The amount of these 
impurities varies from time to time according to local conditions. 

Much has been written in scientific journals regarding the value or 
worthlessness of a sanitary analysis. The best chemists of the world 
now agree that it is of A^alue only when considered in connection 
Avith other matters, such as the location of the well or spring with refer- 
ence to sources of pollution. As the present paper is designed for 
permanent reference, and as sanitary analyses of any water vary from 
time to time, only a few such analyses are given here. Others may 
be found in the annual reports of the state board of health, to which 
interested persons are referred. 

DETAILS. 

Tahles. — The following tables contain nearl}" 300 analyses of well 
and spring waters. The well table is subdivided according to the 
kind of rock penetrated. 



COMPOSITION OF UNDERGROUND WATERS. 



77 



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UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 



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COMPOSITION OF THE UNDERGROUND WATERS. 



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Do. 
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F. L. Bartlett. 
C. F. Chandler. 

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1- 

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S. D. Hayes. 
F. L. Bartlett. 
C. V Chandlfir 




U. S. Dept. Agri- 
culture. /« 
W. W. Skinner, i 


5 
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f=^f=. 


Henry Carmichael. 
F. C."Ro))inson. 
F. T>. Bartlett. 




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^c^ 


03 

d 

03 

id 


•('bn) turupog 






00 00 CO oa rH -^ 00 (M 1-1 --i 00 r-o>a> co 
CO CO id -^ id c4 id c^ CO ir4 co o ri (>i co co co 

rl rH CO 






CO O TT (N ,-, 00 C«3 05 lO O 005C»^t^I>rt TT O 




CO CO t^ 


•(^0) nmpreo 




CO 

iC(MC<ic<l t- lO 

rHr-1 '<*' (N 1-1 


03 00 03 CO "* 

id 1-i id 00 00 Tti •<»< o 

I— 1 I— 1 T-l 




OOt^M 

ddco 


•(a^:) uoji 








• CO 




t^ CO 

d 00 






u 












10 02 

ocd d 




•(£Qo^y+£QS9j) sap! 
-xo launiumiB pwe uoji 


CO C<3 T-! (N 




33 










s 






d 


Q 












•(^0!S) B-^TIIS 


1-H O CO C^ 03 

(M 05 id-^cgididoo -"H T-i CO --1 d o s> 03 -"ti looi 




CO coco 

d d 00 


•.lai^BTn 
aiT:^'BioA puB oiubSjo 




CO 










00 
CO 










■^ 






00 
CO 






CO 

do 


a>-^ O 05 ^ -^ t:^ O -^ -^ ■* (M (M »0 C30 CO 
C^t- 00 (M>OOOCOO t- X OOiOOCOO 

•spqos ib:jox -« ^ ^ ^ 




03(N 
O "^ 
1-1 (N 




t-OOCO 

l-!^CO 


o 

03 

i 


<6 f£ 




"3 

s 

0) 

3c 

-1 


c3 

03 

i 

o 


Windsor Mineral.. 

American Chaly- 

l)eate. 
Highland Mineral. 


c 


c 
;- 

< 


03 
h-l 

II 
o c 


c 


c 


c 


c: 






1 

p- 


-i 


c 
c 

1- 

c 

(-^ 

>— 




Owner. 




Samoar Carbonating 

Co. 
Pejepscot Spring 

Water Co. 




c 


O 

OQ 

03 


c3 
03 

c 


Highland Mineral 

Spring Water Co. 
do 


o 






c 

O 
OQ 

03 

o 
3'C 


o 


_c 




a 








^•^ 

? i-i 
s o 

03 ^ 

t3 O 

CO 


Locality. 

Androscoggin Coun- 
ty: 
Auburn 




c 


P 


"c 


c 


a 

a 
2: 


a 


IT- 

a. 


5 


c 
•J 




c 

p 


o 

P 


C 

O 
12^ 


5 

02 


o 

P 


o 

p 


o 

p 


o 

P 


r- 


'5 "3 
o 


-is: 

d 

PC 


o 

p 


o 


03 

2 
o 

5 
Is 


6 


CO 

c; 


CO 

c 


■^ 
S 


IC 

c5 


?i 




CO 

c 
oq 




oc 




2; 
?1 


o 


2 




T— ) 


CO 
1—1 

CM 




03 


? 

?; 


iC 


CO 


1—1 


00 


03 

1-1 





COMPOSITION OF THE UNDERGROUND WATERS. 



85 



c 
o 

a 


C 03 




,2 






c 


|S 


S.^ • 




■^ 


0) 




o« 


H £ 




rn 


o 


om 


a. 


«d 


f^i^'i 






C3 
> 




r^ 


p^ 


^m"^ 




m 




ai"-^ 


^ 



g 2Q a ./ g 






■<»< cc t~ 

•^ CO-"-! 



T-5 O 1-i 






!co o 
c5 o 



r-i,-;o 



t- ro CO -.:d 



lO 00 (?4 CO 



,-1 0"^'-H 



o t^ r~ oooco 
oi o >— < I— I c5 i-H 



00 T-i --0 

t^ (N C^l C^l ^' C 



^ S 



E e8 
Pi « 



_ 


tr. 






bxj 


.S 






.2 


P. 




m 






CO t^ — 

LC iC o 



-ts o o o 

ra n^ '^ "C3 






o 2j 



I ;4 K 



P^ 




- 


r, 




-/i 






01 




^^ 


^ 


fc£ 


■e 


C3 



^ r-! ^ 



^ O 















o t--^^ ^^ 



^6 









^ CQ 



o o - CJ 
COO! g::^ 



odds 



'^•:= 



£1 c^ 



o< 



o ■z 









o ® 
C O 



Wti 



o oi 

X ^ 

. C3 

r-. I-' 



P.C3 
c3 ft 



C c.;2 



-^^Si-c^ 



c 5^ 



^ ►— ' cij O 



li o 



KS cqH 






O rH N CO 
IM (M NO) 






O-H (M CO 
CO CO CO CO 
<N CI O (M 



(M (N CJ 



t^ 00O5 
(N (M N 






"^ o c3 

53 rf3 « 



-I o 

g"x 








ft 


s 


(71 




> 


o 


<v 


oT 


o 


■n 




o 


•i-> 




firt 




fl 


o 


o 


^ 


x: 




;-i 


M 


a 



CrQ 



o 


R 






^ 


0) 


^— ^ 


a; 


e 








O-^J 




fi) 


-o 


Ol 


crt 




in 


C4 


'z: 


o 






m 






o 


o 


»o 


i=l 


•^ 


r/l 


O 


c3 


O 




0) 


O 


Sh 














o 


o 

Sh 


6 


CO 


«> 


o 






o 


ft 


73 


r/1 


fXl 


>- 




OJ 






Ti 


O 


O 


^ 


03 












Si 


H 


















rt 




(-1 


-a 


fi 


§ 



o>o 





c3 


o 


c/) 


PhS 




o) 


CO 


feb 


§'"' 




o 


O 


o 


^ 


1—1 


'T^ 


Sh 


O 


ft 


^ 




m 


O' 






o 


o 


-o 




c3 


1=1 


TI 


CJ 










a 




Tn 


^ 


3 


3 


O 


o 






-t-i 


r/l 


G 


r/) 


. K 


C3 


o 


bO 



o 

ft-^S- 
sis 

^—i o 



ft 



^ " 5 ^ s 

r^ o C3 . !-l -^ 



„ O ^ 

c o-ro-2^ ^ 

CT3 



ft 

ft.2 






^ CO 

^% 
fi Co 



c3 C3- 
— '-^ .i X 



(B 0) 

bcM 

G C 

e3 c3 

ss 



oo 

O) 0) 

'S'o 



c3 "Otj 

ft C3 c3 



a^ >= C& <! Ji: rri -> ^ G 



0) to 

o3 c3 
'^ '- 

."t^ -"^ 
GG 
O O) 

_S D 
G G 



86 



UNDERGKOUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 



•s 

>> 

1 

< 










C. F. Chandler. 

S. D. Hayes. 

S. K. Hitchings. 

F 

F. C. Robinson. 

F. L. Bartlett. 

F C. Robinson. 
II. C. Carmichael. 

J. W. Mallett. 

W. W. Skinner, e 

F. T, Rart.lptt 








% 


pi: 


1 


•«oo«o 




































; 


■(^00) opipBia^BuoqjBO 


I-H 

00 00 to 

CO t-H 


S5Sg 






CO 

rH(N d 
COO 














- 


•(10) auuomo 


O OC(M 

00 (m"(n" 


C>^ 1-H CO -"S* r-l IC i-H O >0 a> « 05 (N 05 iC 

O O >C 05 5C C: IC 1— 1 1— i -^ .-H CO CO CO c^' ■^' (m' 


o 
■(^OS) apip^i ajBqdjng "^ 


-■ 


•* CO !N rt • O ^ 'S' 

j^i d 04 C~o 00 t^ t^ ■*' rt uo 

^CM C^ CO 










91 I p B J a^BuoqjBoia: 












•^ 


00 


: : S 






', 


O (N 




1 t^ ooco 
•(3) umissB^oj j (N do 


OS •<*< O 

■-Hdic 


t^ CO • O 00 oc 

■^' lo CO • d d o- 


00 CO "" 

.-I C4 CN 










CO 00 t^ 

•(■Bj^) lunipog 1 ^ ^'^ 


.-1 CO 

d "o" OS 


O IM oc 

O CO lO CO Tji TT ,- 






»o 


1 CO lO »o 




Oi ^ Oi t^* O 

(M <N CO .-! d >-i 


ti rH (N 

d d 




CO 

d 


•(BO) umpiBO 


00 .-H 

(M ocoi 


■<11 


CN -"f CO lO "5 CO 

05 ■^■^foro'^Mdddo 

(M — 1 r-H(M 


CO 

d 


•(9i) noil 












00 
»oo 


CO ■<»< 

o cS^ d 


d 






O 


1-1 


-xo uinuinmiB puB uoji 










d*" 


■(.3 




i '^ 


^- CO -^ >c 
■^ d d c 










■(^OIS) mollis 


■* ■* oi lO 00 O .-I 
1— 1 1—1 I-l 1— 1 1— I 


»0 Ot^ (N t^ 00 

"O i-icc(No6ddi-!>-!i-I 

I— 1 1— 1 T-l .— 1 




o 

00 




O COOCC 1 
CO CO CO co' o o i 


00 




-(J , 


(M t- l-H t^ 

oi CO M c4 








O "500 
O lO <M 

•spHOS IBJOX e « « 


1-1 COiO 
uorr 00 


•* <N «>-0 -CO COCO -J CO ■«*< 
CO .-IOOIMCO-^COr-(— Hi— 1 

<N (N ^ .y e e 




co' 


bJb 

fl 
•c 
ft 

w 
o 

0) 

1 


o 

a 
o 


o 

en 

0) 

o 


CO 

6 

M 

tP 
S-i 

O 


"a; 


> 


-i 
i 

o 

o 

o 






Samoset Mineral.. 

Mount Hartford 

Mineral. 
do 


o 
o 

o 


Crocker Hill (pub- 
licsupplv)/No.l. 

Crocker Hill (pub- 
lic supply )/No.2. 

Crocker Hill (pub- 
licsupply)/No.3. 

Mount Mica Min- 
eral. 

Cataract 


hi 

X 
O 

O 


i 

o 


Forest Springs Water 

Co. 
do 


c 
















Consolidated General 

Mineral Water Co. 
do 


Mount Zircon Spring 

Co. 
Paris Hill Water Co... 

do 


o 




Rum ford Falls Power 

Co. 
United Mineral 

Springs Co. 


>> 

"3 
o 
o 


Kennebec County — 
Continued. 
T.itchfinlf] 


o 


o 


c 




o 


o 

c ° 

•rO 


Knox County: Rock- 
land, in bottom of 
limestone quarry. 

Lincoln County: 
East Boothbav 


o 

en 


Nobloboro 

Oxford County: 
Hartford...". 

Do 


Milton plantation.. 
Paris 


O 


o 
Q 


d 


Ph 
v. 

a. 
B 

3 


3 








(N 






(N 




co-^ 




CO 




00 02 a! 

lO lO lO 

<N (N c^q 


s 

IN 


rH 
CO 

IM 






CO 


CO 
CO 

(N 


■* 
S 





COMPOSITION OF THE UNDEKGROUND WATEES. 



87 









fc 


c 


o 


c: 


;- 




b. 






c 






fl 








c 












a 




c 


a 






c 


s: 


£sc 


f^^ 


o o'a o 




r9 






r? 






gfl 




c 




dS-S 1 


Sharpl 

Knig 

. Skin 
rd I'fl 


p 


C. Robin 
. W. Skin 
S. Bradfo 
. W. Skim 




Pi 


TO 

H c 


1 










+- 




A. E. Austi 
F. C. Robin 
Geo. L. Goo 


P- 


'<• 


> CO 


ds 




c; 


P 


c 


d 






d^ 




K 




co 


dfiH^S 


feS 


fe^CB^fe 




fe 


CC 




fepIH 


fe 


fe 


fe d (^ fe 




P=<cc 






\c- 










































■ o 


























.« 


































i-( 


•V 






1-H 


































o- 






<c 


■^ 




t^ 


CO 


(N 


o 




















00 t^ 










iC 


rH CO*^ 




(X 


c 


co«o 


eo(N 


ooo 


00 






IM 


(NCO 


CC 








88* 

cooocc 






a- 




c 


CC 


t^>0<=! 


c^ ■<*< 


<N(M 


.-iC 




c 


<y 


OS CD 0> 


t 




CC 






OS 


c 






cc 






















1- 




^ (M 














































1—1 


ffl 




»;=» 


(N 


03 1-- 


CO 










(I'-'' 
















1- 


(N(M 




M 




-^•^ 


Or- 


C-4 CO 


coc 






^ 




^CD 


C 




.a 


' 


CO 


' 


A 


'^ 


OOOOM 








t-- CO 


■ OC 


• Tf 


LC C 






CC 


lO CD • 


or 




CD 






1—1 1— 




Tt^ 
















o t^ 








CD 


IC' 1— 






t^ 


t^ ^ . 






CC 






1—1 1— 




(M 




































































■ " 




■<*< CX) 


OS 






CC 


CC 


. r-( 
























CO 00 








■ t-i iM 


3 


O 








Tt 


iM 


. >— 1 
























1— 1 iC t^ 








I '"' 












































--^ 


c 


• o 


'=^»o 


r-H CO 


OS 






CC 


».-: 












c 










»c 


OOrH lO 




CO 


•^ 


. • •<tl 


CO 


MTt< 


CO 






o- 


o- 


•CD 










c^ 










CC 


1-1 o 

i-T 




CC 


(M 


• O "C 


C<3 

coc 


t^CO lO 






(N 


<N 


ioO 








(M 










<M 


1-1 LO 




c 




. CO>-( 


o c 


CO-*! O Csl 






C^ 


c- 


;'"' 








00 00 
<N 










c 


T-l CO -* 
1—1 




I-l 


oc 


































^ 


t^ 




(N 


c 


• <»-* 


f-l(N 


rH COOOO 
t-H 1-1 .-( tH 






Tt 


■<t 


• 1^ 


c 






ceo 

(MOO 










^~ 


CO •* o 

r-ICO 






b 






CC 
CO 






-* 








o- 


CT 










^ 








^CO 


O 






o 


c 


o 






^ 


c 






oc 


OC 


o • 


c 




C 


c5r-oc 

1—1 




C 




o 


O 


" 


k^ 
























t. 


.(M 


































== 


+J 
























u 


. 1—1 


































c 


tJ 




CC ■*! 








I-. 


;- 






















(M 


(N 






C2 




■ a3 ^ 


T»<t-. 


-^.-<CO.-i 










■CO 








^ 












CC 


IM ^ 




























u 






































o 






■^ 
















•iM 








t^ 1-1 










1—1 






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00 

1—1 










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CO CO 


00 CD l^ rfi 




CC 


o- 


IC 


•O 








(M OS 








<3- 


I-- 


Tl< 0(M 








.-100 


CO O CO 05 




CC 


CC 


CC 


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CO 

T-l CD 












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c 
c 
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C 




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fl 






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C 

r 


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Yorke 
oro Mi 
e Sand 


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fl. 




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a 


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fl 








fl 
C 
a. 


Waw 
Olde 
Scarb 
Whit 




1 

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i 




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its 

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c 

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a 


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cr 

c 


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> 






to 

fl 

1 

fin 

CO 


c 

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c 

C3 


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o 

to 
be 

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ft 

rn 


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C 








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fl. 

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1 




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ft 

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6 

C3 




























h 














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c 
















4^ 






>> 

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g 














c 














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a. 
















a 
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3 
o 






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21 






:-£ 


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c 

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o 
c 


^ -31 2^ 


c 




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rt CO c 


Somors 
Fairfi 

Do 
St. A 

Do 
Skow 








C 


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^ 


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o'S-^ C 


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fl ^ .^ fl 


1- 


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CO 




22 

csp. 







15 "o 


cr 


S = 
f^^ 








1— 


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Old 

Scar 
Spri 


u- 


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•-(r-l(M OJ CC 




•* 


\r. 


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t^oo 


CT 


o.-< 


03 
C^ C^ CO ■^ 

OOQOOOOC 




lO CC 


t-- 


88sls 




















t^ t^ 




00 oc 






OC 








CN 




cs 




es 


cs 


(N 


(N 




cs 


(N 


(>5 


(N!M 


CM 


(N 


cs 


(N 


CN 


CN 


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es 


04 


es 


04 


CM 


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1 



ftfttl ^ ^ 

o a; ft t-i . Js 

CO CO OS rt O .S 

•Sm.c =^fl 2 2. 

. >> >-.'M Q .2 +3 i? 

^■^is s:o3~ tT^ 
•^:flzj o ^ " ® — 

— ^ t-l tH fl T'* 'Tj "^ tH 

f^ Pl< p^ &■< >q t^ i-H Pt, 



rfl 

ft 



ft 



S § 



O 



a ^ ^ 



. fl 


tH 


aj fl 


+^ . IH . 


o t, 


-^oo S'(S 


^ ft 


c^>^ 


-,-^2 


efi^fi 


.» IH 


^« 2 « 


C-ft 


^ CO a CO 
fl .2 o .22 


fl '-'' 

C CO 


fl fl 


t£>.— >» 






^ 03-" C3 


+^x: 


silg 


<^^/^ 


^s ^z3 








2 "fl «fl 




"SoJo 


^fc^lin 


O .a o 


■e « 1^ e* 



88 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Total solids. — The total solids constitute the residue left on evapo- 
ration of a water sample. Those reported in southern Elaine well 
and spring waters range from 13 parts per million in a spring at 
Naples to 4,055 parts in a well at North Haven. The high percent- 
age of mineral matter in the North Haven water and in several other 
wells near the sea which show abnormally high solids is generally due 
to an admixture of ocean water that penetrates inward along joint 
cracks in the rocks. AVith one exception, the highest amounts of 
total solids in southern Maine which are believed to be due to the 
natural composition of the water are somewhat under 500 parts per 
million and are found in several widely scattered wells drilled in slate 
in Penobscot and Somerset counties. The minimum of total solids 
in slate is 52 in a well at Portland. The figures in Aroostook County 
slates (and ^'slated limestones") in northern Maine are higher, rang- 
ing between 200 and 800 parts per million. A single well at Bangor 
reports 834 parts per million. 

In granite one well at North Sullivan reports 364 parts per million, 
and one in Waldoboro 419 parts. These figures are high for granite, 
as the total solids in granite waters generally run below 200. Most 
springs issuing from sand and gravel give low figures, many running 
below 30. One spring, at South Freeport, reported only 2.8 parts per 
million of total solids, but this figure is probably wrong. 

The reports of the State board of health contain many sanitary 
analyses which show the amount of total solids in spring waters, but 
as the springs are mosth" private ones, and as the material from 
which they issue is not known, or known only through correspond- 
ence, the analyses would be of little value in this report, and only two 
or three are given. 

Organic and volatile matter. — Organic and volatile materials are 
much greater in amount in the waters analyzed than might be 
expected in deep-well and spring waters. It should be noted, how- 
ever, that some of the highest figures occur in analyses for which the 
name of the chemist is not known, and hence their accuracy is open 
to doubt. Normally, with a few exceptions, the organic and volatile 
matter ranges from 5 to 100 parts per million in wells, and from to 
30 parts in springs. An exceptionally large amount of ^'organic and 
volatile matter" may be due to pollution of the water, to water 
of crystallization, or to volatile mineral components.. 

Silica. — The amount of silica in Maine waters is always low. As 
shown by the diagrams, it ranges from 7 to 25 parts per million for 
well waters, exclusive of the wells where it can be attributed to sea 
water. In spring waters the silica runs from 0.24 part to 21 parts. 
The highest amount, 21 parts, occurs in the Blue Hill Mineral Spring. 

Iron and alundnum oxides. — The figures for iron and aluminum 
oxides are much more constant than those for an^^ other ion or group 



COMPOSITION OF THE UNDEKGEOUND WATERS. 89 

of ions. With the exception of iron when reported alone, the}" are 
the lowest of all the materials conimonly estimated. (See lowest 
line in Pis. IV, VI, and VIII.) In well waters from granite and simi- 
lar rocks these minerals run from 1 to 8 parts per million; in those 
from sand and gravel, 1 to 2 parts; in spring waters, 0.2 to 9 parts. 
The highest amounts occur in spring water from a limestone quarry 
at Rockland. 

Iron. — Most of the analyses reporting iron separatel}" from alu- 
minum are field assays, and in them iron is generally found to be 
absent. Most Maine waters are destitute of iron in appreciable 
quantities. As half a part per million of this mineral is recognizable 
to the taste, it will be seen that much iron would make the waters 
unusable. The greatest amount reported, 5 to 10 parts per million, 
is in the wells of the Northern Maine Seaport Railroad Company in 
Waldo County. This amount of iron in a water would make it 
undrinkable; hence it is probable that the figures given for iron 
in these wells may include alumina „ 

A number of mineral springs also report high iron, and to some 
of these the statement just made may possibly appl}^. As a rule, 
the amount of iron in springs of this State runs below 1 part per 
million. The Blue Hill Mineral Spring, which is said to issue from a 
rock containing a large quantity of iron, contains only 3.2 parts per 
million of this mineral. 

Calcium. — Calcium, a constituent of lime, is one of the most abun- 
dant ingredients. It is generally highest in limestone, and runs 
from 40 to 160 parts in the areas of calcareous slates. Exceptional 
figures are much higher. The lowest known figure for calcium in 
slate water is 4. In granite it ranges from 1 part per million in a 
well on Greenings Island to 62 parts in a North Sullivan well. In 
gravel waters the amount is from 3 to 6 parts. In springs it ranges 
from a mere trace to 42 parts. 

Magnesium. — In waters where calcium occurs magnesium also 
is found, but generall}^ in much smaller quantities. In granite 
waters it ranges from 2 to 10 parts per million, in slate from 1 to 30, 
and in sand and gravel from 1 to 5. In calcareous slates in northern 
Maine the amount of magnesium runs from 15 to 40 parts. In spring 
waters the amount of this element is very uncertain, running as 
high as 14 parts, but being in most springs below 3. The analysis of 
limestone water from Rockland shows 22 parts of magnesium, nearly 
as many as of calcium — 29. In two analyses, those of the Highland 
Mineral Spring at Lewiston and the Keystone Mineral Spring at 
Auburn, magnesium without calcium is reported. This is evidently 
a mistake, and it is possible that part of the solid matter reported as 
magnesiui2i is in reality calcium. 



90 UNDERGEOUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Sodium. — Sodium is one of the constituents of common salt and of 
sea water, which exphiins why it is so high in certain analyses. 
Normally it runs from 7 to 60 parts per million in granite, from 3 to 30 
parts in slate, and from 1 to 10 parts in gravel. In spring waters 
it is variable, but seldom exceeds 20 parts. In most Maine waters 
sodium is much lower than calcium, as shown by the diagrams. In 
sea water, however, sodium far exceeds calcium and magnesium in 
amount. The fact that in analysis No. 155 calcium is much in excess 
of sodium indicates that perhaps the high total solids may not be due 
entirely to sea water, as would appear at first inspection of the 
diagram. 

Potassium. — Smaller quantities of potassium than of sodium are 
found in most waters. The element is usually in equilibrium with 
chlorine, as is sodium, and it is also found in sea water. In granite 
the amount ranges from 0.5 to 13 parts per million, in slate from 
0.8 to 17, and in sand and gravel it is below 3. In two well waters 
the amount of potassium is reported greater than that of sodium. In 
spring waters it runs from 0.2 to 15 parts. 

Bicarbonate radicle. — All carbonates occurring in Maine well and 
spring waters are believed to exist in the bicarbonate or acid-carbonate 
form, as several hundred tests for the normal or alkaline carbonate re- 
sulted negatively. The figures in the bicarbonate radicle column are 
mostly the results of field assays made according to the standard 
method of the United States Geological Survey," and are approxi- 
mate only. The tests made show the amount of bicarbonates to 
range from 9 to 143 parts per million in granite, 20 to more than 500 in 
slate, 40 to 167 in clay, 16 to 80 in bowlder clay, and 10 to 128 in 
sand and gravel. One report from a well in slate gives 765 parts per 
milKon. The higher figures, while somewhat scattering m distri- 
bution, are mostly from the northeastern quarter of the State. In 
Aroostook County none of them are under 100 and many exceed 300 
parts per million. In spring waters the bicarbonate radicle is gen- 
erally low, one refined analysis showing only 0.14 part. In a few 
springs the bicarbonates exceed 100 parts per million. 

Carhonate radicle. — Most of the analyses of spring waters and a few 
analyses of well waters made b}^ chemists not connected with the 
United States Geological Survey report calcium, sodium, and other 
carbonates. There is no way of determining from these analyses 
what proportion of the carbonates exist in the form of the normal 
carbonate radicle and what proportion in the bicarbonate form. In 
recomputing the results, therefore, it has been necessary to express 
them simply as '^carbonate radicle" (CO3), though these are probably 
all bicarbonates (HCO3) . Although normal carbonates are not known 

oLeighton, M. O., Field assay of water: Water-Supply Paper D. S. Geol. Survey No. 151, 1905, pp. 
6&-69. 



COMPOSITION OF THE UNDERGKOUND WATERS. 91 

to have been found in Maine waters^ they can not be said with cer- 
tainty to be absent. 

Sulj^hate radicle. — ^All sulphates occurring in Elaine waters have 
been recomputed to the sulphate radicle (SO^). Small amounts of 
this compound occur in most waters, and in some they are high. In 
granite they range from a mere trace to 36 parts per millionj in clay 
from to 53 parts, and in gravel and sand from to 11 parts. In 
spring waters the sulphates range from to 37 parts, but are generally 
below 10. 

Chlorine. — Chlorine, a constituent of common salt, is one of the 
most variable components of natural waters. It ranges in the 
Maine waters analyzed from less than 1 part per milHon to as high as 
1,790 parts in one well which was invaded by sea water. The highest 
chlorine that is believed to be due to the composition of the rock is 
somewhat under 200 parts. In some portions of the country (as in 
places in New York State), where the rocks contain salt, however, 
the waters are high in chlorine. Normal chlorine lines and the limita- 
tions of their use are explained on pages 27-28. In the majority of 
well waters the chlorine is above the normal as given for the local 
surface waters. In most deep wells which are properly cased this 
is due to chlorine dissolved from the rocks and in open wells to the 
entrance of surface waters. 

Hardness. — The hardness of waters may be classed as temporary, 
due to the carbonates and bicarbonates of calcium and magnesium; 
or permanent, due to sulphates, chlorides, or nitrates of the alkali 
earths. A large part of the hardness in Maine waters is temporary 
and can generally be removed by boiling, which precipitates the 
hardening constituents. Aside from the analyses made by the 
state board of health, few tests for hardness have been made. In 
general the waters outside of Aroostook County and parts of Penob- 
scot and Somerset counties are soft ; and when they are described by 
residents or in the table at the end of the report as ^^hard" the term 
is used onl}" relativeh^, with reference to softer waters in the same 
region. The total hardness of waters in southern Maine ranges up 
to 300 parts per million, the highest figures being shown in Penobscot 
County, where the rocks are slightly calcareous. The hardness of 
spring waters, however, seldom exceeds 20 parts. The reports of 
the state board of health include several hundred analyses of spring 
waters which give the hardness. Few of these are published here, 
as the material from which the spring issues is known onl}^ through 
correspondence. 

Lithium. — Few tests for lithium in Maine waters have been made. 
One or two well waters which issue from granite report traces of this 
element, and amounts up to 0.01 part per million are reported to 
have been found in spring waters issuing from granite and gneiss. 



92 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Otlier substances. — In a few analyses tests liave been made for 
other elements. Manganese, strontium, rubidium, phosphates, 
arsenates, and borates have been found as mere traces. Tests for 
bromine and iodine have resulted negatively. None of the sub- 
stances mentioned have been found in quantities large enough to 
give the water medicinal properties. The most complete analyses, 
showing something in respect to the probability of finding the rarer 
elements in spring waters, are those made b}^ the Bureau of Chemis- 
tr}", United States Department of Agriculture. 

DESCRIPTION OF UNDERGROUND WATERS BY 

COUNTIES. 

ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Androscoggin County is situated in the southwestern part of Maine, 
on both sides of Androscoggin River. It is one of the smallest 
counties in Maine, having a length of 40 miles, an extreme breadth 
of 25 miles, and a total area of only 480 square miles. The popula- 
tion, according to the census of 1900, was 54,242. Lemston is the 
largest city, having a population of 24,997. Auburn, the count}' 
seat, on the opposite side of the river from Le^\dston, contained 13,971 
inhabitants. This count}^ is moderately hill}', ranging in altitude 
from 100 to more than 800 feet. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATION TO ROCKS AND SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

Distribution of rock types. — The rocks of Androscoggin County con- 
sist for the most part of complex intrusions of granite and gneiss 
in schist, but a strip along the eastern border of the county, north 
of Lisbon, is underlain by slate. In the vicinity of Lewdston and 
Auburn the rocks consist mostly of hard gneissic schist or granitic 
gneiss, cut by small granite dikes. In most places within this strip 
the rock is distinctly bedded, but the strike and dip are extremely 
variable, the strata being much contorted in places. In some 
localities the joints are open and the rock is decomposed, allowing 
penetration of water downward; in other places the rock is dense, 
and all the cracks are tightly closed. This probably accounts for 
the failure of several deep wells at Auburn and Lewiston. Farther 
away from the boundary of the slate area, and in some places near 
its border the rock is true granite. A map of Androscoggin County 
showing the distribution of deep wells, important springs, and com- 
munities having public water supplies forms PI. XI. 

Surface deposits. — The greater part of the uplands of the county 
is covered by bowlder clay and irregular gravel deposits, locally of 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE XI 



% Successful well over 50 feet in depth 

O Unsuccessful well over 50 feet in depth 

-^ Flowing well 

iL Important spring 

Community having public supply 
from surface sources 

□ Community having public supply 
from springs 

■ Other important towns 



LivernioiVe Falls 



nd^oscoggin 
Pond 




J L 



IILES 



MAP OF ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY. 

Showing- distribution of deep weils, important springs, and communities having 

public supphes. 



ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY. 93 

considerable thickness. Along the rivers, however, rather exten- 
sive lowlands consist of clay rising to a maximum elevation of about 
200 feet. At Lewiston a number of brickyards make use of this 
clay. At Lewiston Upper Station the clay is 20 feet thick and in 
places is overlain conformably by stratified sand and underlain by 
coarse gravel. In other parts of Lewiston the clay is more than 30 
feet in thickness. Gravel underlies the clay in the vicinity of Lis- 
bon Falls and Lewiston, and probably nearly everywhere in the 
Androscoggin Valley. Many flat sand and gravel deposits extend 
along the valley of Little Androscoggin and other rivers and sur- 
round the principal lakes and ponds. The total tliickness of these 
deposits varies greatly, but in extreme cases along the valleys it is 
as much as 60 feet. On the highlands the drift is thinner, generally 
not more than 5 to 15 feet thick. 

WELLS. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Types of wells. — The majority of the wells of Androscoggin County 
are open surface wells, but some driven wells are used, and in Lewis- 
ton, Auburn, and Lisbon Falls there are a few drilled wells. The 
open and driven wells vary in depth from 10 to 35 feet, and in the 
valleys they are generally successful, so far as the quantity of water 
is concerned, although some have been dug to rock wdthout success, 
and the water in many of them becomes very low or gives out in a 
dry season. In general dug wells are the only type of shallow wells 
which can be used on the liills, but driven wells are more satisfac- 
torv in the sands and clavs of the vallevs. 

Drilled wells. — In parts of the county where it is not possible to 
obtain water of suitable quality or in sufficient quantity from surface' 
wells drilling should be adopted. Little drilling has been done as 
yet, but the method will be used more and more in future. Some 
hesitation may be felt in regard to it at Lewiston and Auburn because 
several of the wells, including one 654-foot well, have been failures. 
It is possible that in this vicinity open joint cracks containing water 
are so rare and superficial that successful wells can not be obtained; 
but the region has hardly been fairly tested, and it is possible that in 
some parts of these cities there may be plenty of water in the rocks. 
If tests are made, it will probably not pay to drill below 300 feet. 
Most of the wells alread}^ sunk have been 6-inch wells, but one 8-inch 
well was drilled. The depths range from 50 to 654 feet. 

Quality of water. — Little can be said in regard to the quality of 
water in Androscoggin County, as few analyses have been made. 
Field assays of the water from dug wells at Auburn and one at 
Mechanic Falls show a verv low mineral content. A drilled well in 



94 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

granite at South Poland gave 98 parts per million of total solids. A 
well in Auburn, location not known, reports 112 parts per million of 
total solids. Throughout the count}' the water is soft, but in drilled 
wells it is less so than in the surface wells. In nine springs, the waters 
of which have been analyzed, the total solids range between 29 and 
154 parts per million. In one driven well and one drilled well the 
water is said to overflow the surface. 

Uses. — In all parts of the county the cliief use of well water is for 
domestic and farm purposes, and it is seldom used for anytliing else. 
At Lewdston, however, water from gravel is used in Bates's mill for 
bleaching purposes. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 

Lewiston and Auburn. — ^At Lewiston and Auburn wells drilled in the 
solid rock have generally been failures. A well of the Standard Dry 
Plate Company, corner of Bates and Pine streets, Lewiston, found 
very little water. A well belonging to Mr. John Picket, now deceased, 
on Highland street. Auburn, got water, but is now abandoned. One 
of the most conspicuous failures in Maine is a well belonging to the 
Turner Center Creamery in Auburn. This well was drilled by an 
experienced driller to a depth of 654 feet, but absolutely no water 
was found below 8 feet from the surface. The first 90 feet was 
through gravel and clay, the rest in gneiss. The quality of water, 
where found, is generally good. Analyses of well waters in Auburn 
are given in the table on pages 82, 83 (Nos. 175 and 196). 

The plant at Bates's mill, Lewdston, consists of 15 driven wells 
ranging in depth from 30 to 40 feet. The formation at the mill con- 
sists of 20 feet of gravel (^'made ground") resting on about 5 feet of clay, 
below which hes 2 feet of gravel containing a plentiful supply of water. 
The gravel bed slopes to the south and appears at the bottom of all 
these wells and also at the bottom of a 65-foot well owned by the 
same company, situated 200 feet beyond the last well of the system. 
The water tastes strongly of iron. It is used in bleaching, and the 
pumps are run fifteen hours a day, pumping an average volume of 
350 gallons a minute. 

Dug wells are far more common than driven wells in this vicinity, 
and, except in the clay areas, are generally of moderate depth and 
are fairly satisfactory' if protected from pollution. In the clay areas 
wells should be driven or drilled through the clay into the underMng 
sand and gravels, which generally contain plenty of water. Some 
open wells are blasted in rock, the chief value of this method being 
to furnish a reservoir for the water of the overhang drift. At North 
Auburn there are a few dug wells 40 to 60 feet in depth, most of them 
many years old. Several drilled wells are reported within the town 



ANDKOSCOGGIN COUNTY. 95 

limits. A few dug wells and springs are pumped by windmills. In 
the southern part of the town there are considerable areas of sand 
plain in which water can be easily obtained at shallow depths. Dug 
wells have been used mostly thus far, but some persons are now using 
driven wells. Several commercial mineral springs are situated in 
these towns and will be described under the appropriate heading. (See 
pp. 96-99, 103.) The public supply of Auburn and Lewiston is 
taken from Lake Auburn. This would be excellent water if properly 
protected, but unless the building of cottages and pleasure resorts on 
the lake shores is regulated and boating is stopped the supply will 
soon become dangerous for drinking. 

Poland. — The conditions in the town of Poland vary greatly. Con- 
siderable areas in the eastern part of the town and in the vicinity of 
the ponds consist of sand and clay plains, but a large part of the town 
is liilly. Open wells are the rule, being generally dug to bed rock, 
and some of them are blasted into the rock itself as much as 4 to 10 
feet. Only one drilled well is known. This is situated 700 yards 
from Poland Spring and was drilled in granite in the hope of tapping 
the spring supply. Needless to say, the attempt failed. The analy- 
sis of water from this well is given in the table (No. 2). 

Mechanic Falls. — A number of years ago test wells were sunk at 
Mechanic Falls to depths of 30 to 60 feet through clay and fine sand, 
in order to get a pubhc supply. A httle water overflowed the surface, 
but the amount was too small, so the wells were abandoned. As the 
village hes on broad clay and sand plains bordering Little Andros- 
coggin Kiver, the water is here abundant and is easily obtained by 
dug and driven wells. The water is obtained on top of the clay, but 
if this is penetrated a more abundant supply of better quality will be 
found. It is possible, even, that flowing weUs may be obtained in 
places. Driven wells are recommended in preference to dug wells 
wherever practicable, but all forms of wells should be sunk through 
the clay. 

Lisbon. — Along the river at Lisbon water is found in shallow wells 
in sand resting on clay. Several wells drilled in granite at Lisbon 
Falls were sunk to depths ranging from 50 to 187 feet, and all but 
one were successful as regards quality of water. Only one field 
assay (No. 1 of the table) is available to show the mineral content of 
the water here. 

East Livermore. — At Livermore Falls one or more shallow drilled 
wells have been sunk, but no information is at hand regarding them. 

Other towns. — In the towns of Danville, Minor, Webster, Wales, 
Greene, Turner, Leeds, and Livermore no wells are known to have been 
drilled, the type generally in use being the ordinary open wells used 
at most farmhouses. 



96 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

SPRINGS. 

General statement. — Commercial mineral springs are more abundant 
in this county than in any other county of Maine, no fewer than seven 
springs reporting sales of water being situated within its borders. 
These are as follows: 

Crystal Mineral Spring, Auburn. 
Highland Mineral Spring, Lewiston. 
Keystone Mineral Spring, East Poland. 
Pejepscot Spring, Auburn. 
Poland Spring, South Poland. 
Sabattus Springs, Sabattus. 
Windsor Mineral Spring, Lewiston. 

In addition to these there are several other springs of interest, 
the water of which is not sold. 

Crystal Mineral Spring. — The Crystal Mneral Spring is owned 
by the Samoar Carbonating Company, of Lewiston. It is situated 
on a sloping hillside 3 miles southwest of Auburn depot, and the water 
issues from undulating deposits of stratified sand, known as kames, 
which rest on a bed of clay. The water is collected in a cement- 
lined and glass-covered masonry tank, about 8 feet square and 4 feet 
deep, inclosed in a spring house where the water was formerly bottled. 
It is now hauled to Lewiston and bottled there, being mostly car- 
bonated for soda water and ginger ale, and sold under the trade name 
Samoar water. The temperature of this water at the spring is 47° 
and the measured overflow is 6 gallons a minute. The water has no 
color, odor, or taste, and on account of its situation distant from 
houses there is no chance for pollution. The analysis, recomputed 
from that given in the circular issued by the owner, is given in the 
table (No. 203a). 

Glenrock Mineral Spring. — The Glenrock Mineral Spring is situated 
in the town of Greene, 2| miles south of the post-office. It is owned 
by A. B. Parker & Sons, of Greene. The water issues from gravel 
deposits on a gentle slope in an open field. The spring is incased in 
granite curbing cemented to an impervious stratum, and is reported 
to flow 18 gallons a minute, not varying according to season. The 
temperature is 472°- The water is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, 
and is of excellent quality. It is used as a table and medicinal water 
by many families in Lewiston and Auburn. The analysis of the 
water is given in the table (No. 206b), the composition being taken 
from the circular issued by the owners and recomputed according to 
the standard method. 

Highland Mineral Spring. — The Highland Mineral Spring is situated 
on a southward-sloping hillside in the city of Lewiston, about 3 miles 
northeast of the post-office. It is owned by the Highland Spring 
Water Company, of New York. The hill on wliich the spring is 



ANDKOSCOGGIN COUNTY. 97 

situated is composed of gneiss and schist cut by pegmatite dikes, and 
a covering of 1 to 5 feet of bowlder clay overlies the rock. The 
water occurs in a vertical 6-inch crack paraUel with the stratification 
of the gneiss, entering from the direction of the summit of the hill 
on the north side of the spring. The water is beheved to be derived 
from the rain and snow falling on the hillside within a few hundred 
feet of the spring, being held in the drift and the upper crevices of the 
rock until it emerges at the spring. The spring is reported to flow 
20 gallons a minute in a wet season, but diminishes somewhat during 
the summer. The temperature averages 42°, varying a little during 
the year. 

The spring is inclosed with a granite curbing, and the whole is cov- 
ered with a small spring house. The bottling house is 50 feet away. 
The situation is almost ideal for a mineral spring, as the hill rises 100 
feet or so above it and is covered mostly by thick woods. There are 
no houses on the hill except two cottages on the summit, several 
hundred yards from the spring, separated from it by a small ravine. 
These are occupied for a month in summer by the treasurer of the 
company — a prominent New York physician — and as every precau- 
tion is taken in respect to drainage, there is practically no danger of 
the spring water becoming polluted. The water is bottled near by 
and shipped to New York and other cities. Valuable medicinal 
properties are claimed for it by the owners. The water retails in 
New York for $2 a 5-gallon carboy, or the same rate for a case of 12 
quarts. This is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. 

Several analyses have been made of this water (Nos. 209, 210, and 
210a of the table), but the most complete is that made by W. W. 
Skinner, of the Bureau of Chemistry, United States Department of 
Agriculture, in connection with cooperative work on mineral waters 
conducted by the Geological Survey and the Bureau of Chemistry. 
The proportions of the various constituents are as follows: 

Analysis of water from Highland Mineral Spring. 
[W. W. Skinner, analyst.] 
Gases (cubic centimeters per 1,000 grams at 0° C. and 760 mm. 
pressure) : 

Carbon dioxide (CO2), free 38. 2 

Carbon dioxide (CO2), set free from bicarbonates on evapo- 
rating to dryness 4. 2 

Parts per 
million. 

Phosphoric acid radicle (PO4) None. 

Metaboric acid radicle (BO2) None. 

Arsenic acid radicle (ASO4) None. 

Silica (SiOs) '. 11. 40 

Sulphuric acid radicle (SO4) 4. 65 

Bicarbonic acid radicle (HCO3) 22. 90 

Nitric acid radicle (NO3) None. 

59969— IRR 223—09 7 



98 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Parts per 
million. 

Nitrous acid radicle (NO,) None. . 

Chlorine (CI) 2. 20 

Bromine (Br) None. 

Iodine (I) None. 

Iron and aluminum (Fe and Al ) .35 

Manganese (Mn) None. 

Calcium (Ca) 5. 86 

Magnesium (Mg) .94 

Potassium (K) 1. 21 

Sodium (Na) 2. 79 

Lithium (Li) None. 

Ammonium (NH4) 021 

Oxygen to form FcoOg and AI2O3 

~ 52. 321 

Free ammonia .02 

Albuminoid ammonia .05 

Nitrogen as nitrates Traces. 

Nitrogen as nitrites None. 

Oxygen consumed •. 1. 50 

Keystone Mineral Spring. — The Keystone Mineral Spring is 
owned by E. H. Pratt, of East Poland. The spring is situated 
on a gently sloping hillside in the eastern part of the town of Poland, 
about a mile north of Empire Road station on the Grand Trunk Rail- 
way. The water issues from a nearly horizontal seam 4 feet or so 
from the surface, overlain by a bed of granite and underlain by 
gneiss. The beds of the gneiss strike N. 30° to 40° W. and dip 35° 
NE. The hill rises 10 feet higher within 100 feet southwest of the 
spring and 25 feet higher 200 feet north of the spring. To the east 
is a little valley; to the southwest lies an undulating sand plain a 
quarter of a mile in extent. The water apparently comes from the 
southwest, where it is caught on this sand plain, sinks into the under- 
lying rock, and finds its way along the contact plane between the 
granite and the gneiss. 

This spring is walled with a granite curb and inclosed in a bottling 
house, and is well protected from pollution. The temperature in 
the basin is 50°, the water being probably warmed somewhat by con- 
tact with the air. There is no color or odor and little, if any, taste. 
The measured overflow is a trifle over 3 gallons a minute and is 
reported to fluctuate very little with the weather or the season. 
The water has been analyzed, and the composition reported by the 
owners and recalculated into ions and parts per million according to 
the standard rules is given in the table (No. 206). 

The best analysis of this water is one made by W. W. Skinner, of 
the Bureau of Chemistry, United States Department of Agriculture, 
in connection with cooperative work on mineral waters conducted 
by the Geological Survey and the Bureau of Chemistry. This 
analysis is as follows: 



ANDEOSCOGGIN COUNTY. 99 

Analysis of vjater from Keystone Mineral Spring. 

[W. W. Skinner, analyst.] 

Gases (cubic centimeters per 1,000 grams at 0° C. and 760 mm. 
pressure : 

Carbon dioxide (CO2), free 9. 2 

Carbon dioxide (CO2), set free from bicarbonates on evapo- 
rating to dryness 10. 9 

Parts per 
million. 

Phosphoric acid radicle (PO4) Xone. 

Metaboric acid radicle (BOo) Xone. 

Arsenic acid radicle (AsO^) Xone. 

Silica (SiOs) 11.60 

Sulphuric acid radicle (SO4) 3. 43 

Bicarbonic acid radicle (HCO3) 59. 53 

Nitric acid radicle (NO3) 88 

Nitrous acid radicle (NO2) None, 

Chlorine (CI) 5. 20 

Bromine (Br) None. 

Iodine (I) None. 

Iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) .39 

Manganese (Mn) None. 

Calcium (Ca) 14. 72 

Magnesium (Mg) 3. 11 

Potassium (K) .84 

Sodium (Na.) 4. 23 

Lithium (Li) None. 

Ammonium (NHJ : 

Oxygen to form FeaOg and AI2O3 

103. 93 

Free ammonia None. 

Albuminoid ammonia '. None. 

Nitrogen as nitrates .20 

Nitrogen as nitrites None. 

Oxygen consumed 6. 50 

Keystone Spring water is bottled and mosth^ peddled in Lewiston 
and Auburn, but some is shipped by rail. Examination of the 
spring shows it to be probably secure from danger of pollution. 

Pejepscot Spring. — Pejepscot Spring is situated on Golf Hill in 
Auburn, about 1^ miles northwest of the post-office. The water is 
reported by the owners to issue from a bed of sand near the base of 
the hillside. It is colorless, tasteless, and odorless, and is reported to 
flow^ about half a gallon a minute. It is put on the market for 
medicinal and table use. The analysis given in the table (No. 204) is 
recomputed from that furnished by the owners. 

Poland Spring. — Poland Spring is the best-knowTi spring in Maine. 
It is owned by Hiram Ricker & Sons (Incorporated) and is situated 
on Ricker Hill at South Poland. This is a hill of considerable size, 
rising 300 feet above the surrounding valley and consisting almost 



100 UNDEEGROUND WATEKS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

entirely of o^ranite and ^^ranite gneiss, covered only by 1 to 30 feet of 
hardpan or bowlder clay. On top of tbe hill stands the Poland Spring 
House, a famous summer resort. 

On the north and east sides of the hill the formation is typical 
granite, but on the south and west slopes it is much more gneissic in 
character. The spring is situated on the east slope of the hill, 84 
feet below the summit. In the immediate vicinity of the spring the 
rock is in few places more than 3 feet below the surface, and much of 
the surface is bare rock which slopes 'Adth the hill. The water issues 
from cracks in a dike of porphyry which is about 10 feet wide at the 
spring and strikes about N. 80° W., as nearly as can be estimated. 
This dike has been traced by the owTiers of the spring for a distance 
of 200 feet and its width diminishes at the southeast end to about 1 
foot. Its other relations can not be determined without excavation, 
but it is reported to hade slightl}^ into the hill. Tlie spring itself is 
covered b}^ a glass case and protected from too close intrusion by a 
marble wall surmounted by an iron grating. By looking down 
through the glass cover a number of narrow cracks a small fraction of 
an inch in width can be seen running parallel with the sides of the 
dike. The surface of the dike is weathered rather whitish and is 
somewhat decomposed. It is from this part of the dike that the 
water emerges. 

No pains or expense have been spared by the o^vners of the Poland 
Spring to collect every available gallon of the water which emerges, 
and to protect the spring from all possible pollution. A trench was 
once excavated along the dike for many feet, and the dike covered 
mth cement, to prevent the exit of water anj'where except in the 
spring. The curbing has been carefully cemented to the rock to 
prevent all surface wash, and over the spring has been built an 
elaborate and expensive marble spring house. The hotel stands on 
the summit of the hill several hundred feet distant, and all drainage 
from the hotel and stables is carried in tightly jointed pipes do^^^l 
the opposite slopes. 

Poland water has no color, odor, or taste, and is very low in mineral 
matter, as sho^\^l b}^ the analyses given in the table (Xos. 212, 213, 
214, and 214a). The first and second analyses are reported by the 
owners of the spring and the various constituents have been recal- 
culated into the ionic form and parts per million, according to the 
standard method. 

The best analyses of the Poland Spring water were made by W. W. 
Skinner, of the Bureau of Chemistry, United States Department of 
Agriculture, in connection with cooperative work on mineral waters 
conducted bv the Geological Survev and the Bureau of Chemistrv. 
One of these, made in 1905, has been published,'^ but is repeated here. 

a Haywood, J. K., Mineral waters of the United States: Bull. No. 91, U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Chemistry, 
1905, pp. 32-33. 



ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY. 101 

Analysis of Poland Spring water. 

[W. W. Skinner, analyst.] 

Gases (cubic centimeters per 1,000 grams at 0° C. and 760 mm. 
pressure) : 

Carbon dioxide (COo), free 5. 6 

Carbon dioxide (CO,), set free from bicarbonates on evapo- 
rating to dryness 8. 8 

Parts per 
million. 

Silica (SiOs) - - 24. 1 

Sulphuric acid radicle (SO4) 3. 6 

Bicarbonic acid radicle (HCO3) 48. 4 

Carbonic acid radicle (CO3) 

Nitric acid radicle (NO3) 5. 89 

Nitrous acid radicle (NO2) 0032 

Phosphoric acid radicle (PO4) Trace. 

Metaboric acid radicle (BO2) None. 

Arsenic acid radicle (ASO4) None. 

Chlorine (CI) 5.0 

Bromine (Br) None. 

Iodine (I) None. 

Iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) 4 

Manganese (Mn) None. 

Calcium (Ca) 13 . 9 

Magnesium (Mg) 2.1 

Potassium (K) 2.4 

Sodium (Na) 6.9 

Lithium (Li) Minute trace. 

Ammonium (NH4) 008 

Oxygen to form SiOg and FcaOg 1.2 

133. 9012 

Free ammonia . 008 

Albuminoid ammonia .051 

Nitrogen as nitrates 1 .33 

Nitrogen as nitrites .001 

Oxygen required .45 

HYPOTHETICAL FOBM OF COMBINATION. 

Parts per 
million. 

Ammonium chloride (NH4CI) , 0.024 

Lithium chloride (LiCl) Minute trace. 

Potassium chloride (KCl) " 4.6 

Sodium chloride (NaCl) 4.6 

Sodium sulphate (Na2S04) 5.3 

Calcium phosphate (Ca3(P04)2) Trace. 

Sodium nitrate (NaN03) 8. 07 

Sodium nitrite (NaN02) 0048 

Sodium bicarbonate (Na(HC03)) 4. 4 

Magnesium bicarbonate (Mg(HC03)2) 12. 6 

Calcium bicarbonate (Ca(HC03)2) 46.1 

Ferric oxide (FcoOg) and alumina (AI2O3) 6 

Calcium silicate (CaSi03) 7. 3 

Silica (Si02) 20. 3 

113. 8988 



102 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

The second analysis by the Bureau of Chemistry was made at a 
later date and has not been previously published. The various con- 
stituents are as follows : 

Analysis of Poland Spring water. 
[W. W. Skinner, analyst.] 

Gases (cubic centimeters per 1,000 grams at 0° C. and 760 mm. 
pressure) : 

Carbon dioxide (CO2), free 2. 10 

Carbon dioxide (CO2), set free from bicarbonates on evapo- 
rating to dryness 10, 20 

■ Parts per 
million. 

Phosphoric acid radicle (PO4) Traces. 

Metaboric acid radicle (BO2) None, 

Arsenic acid radicle (ASO4) - None, 

Silica (SiOs). . - : 15. 40 

Sulphuric acid radicle (SO4) 3. 29 

Bicarbonic acid radicle (HCO3) 55. 63 

Nitric acid radicle (NO3) 3. 98 

Nitrous acid radicle (NO2) None. 

Chlorine (CI) 5. 90 

Bromine (Br) None. 

Iodine (I) None. 

Iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) 32 

Manganese (Mn) None. 

Calcium (Ca) 14. 37 

Magnesium (Mg) 2. 38 

Potassium (K) 90 

Sodium (Na) 6. 34 

Lithium (Li) None. 

Ammonium (NH4) Oil 

Oxygen to form Fe^Og and AI2O3 130 

108.651 . 

Free ammonia .01 

Albuminoid ammonia 005 

Nitrogen as nitrates 900 

Nitrogen as nitrites None. 

Oxygen consumed 4. 00 

The volume of flow of the Poland Spring is reported to be about 8 
gallons a minute. The temperature averages 42° and rarely varies 
2° the year round. It is little affected by rain, and then only after 
the lapse of considerable time. The spring water is used for drinking 
at the Poland Spring House and the Mansion House near by and is 
bottled and shipped. 

The Poland Spring is said to have been accidentally discovered in 
1845. The hotel was built in 1876. In 1906 a fine plant, consisting 
of a spring house and bottling works, was installed at a cost of more 
than $100,000. In the vicinity of the Poland Snring are situated a 



ANDEOSCOGGIN COUNTY. 103 

number of other springs from which some water has been sold. One 
of these waters, sold near by, went for a wliile by the name of 
''Poliska water." Some years ago a well was sunk on the west side 
of the hill in an attempt to tap the Poland Spring, but mthout 
success. 

Cliff Spring. — The Cliff Spring is situated one-fourth mile west of 
East Turner, and the water is sold in Lewiston. The flow is reported 
to be 1| gallons a minute. 

Wijidsor Mineral Spring. — The Windsor jVIineral Spring, owned by 
the Windsor ^lineral Spring Company, of Boston, is situated 3 miles 
northeast of Lewiston post-office, on the slope of a rock hill which 
rises 100 feet or more behind the spring. The surface deposits con- 
sist of several feet of bowlder cla}". The water is said b}' the o^\^lers 
to issue from rock. The formation is pegmatite, gneiss, and schist. 
The slope of the hill is grassed over and covered in part by an orchard. 
The only buildings in the vicinity are a house and barn, situated 500 
feet horizontally along the hillside, thus giving no opportunity for 
pollution by drainage. The flow is reported to be 5 or 10 gallons a 
minute and to be invariable. The temperature is said to vary 2° 
or 3°. 

The water is sold in Boston, New York, and other cities for table 
and medicinal purposes. Some of it is carbonated. The charge for 
still water is $1.50 a 5-gallon carboy. The spring is well protected 
by a cement curbing and is covered by a small spring house. 

This water contains 154 parts per million of total solids. The 
complete analysis, recomputed according to the standard system, 
from the analysis reported in the compan^^'s circular, is given in the 
table (No. 208). 

Lake Auburn Mineral Spring. — ^An important spring is situated on 
the northwest shore of Lake Auburn, at the foot of a gentle bowlder 
clay and gravel slope, near the lake. Formerly the site of tliis spring 
was used for a summer resort and there was a large hotel here, but 
a few years ago the hotel was destroyed b}" fire and it has not been 
rebuilt. The spring is still covered \\'ith a small spring house, and 
many people from the village of North Auburn come here for drinking 
water. 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

Several communities in Androscoggin County — Lewiston, Auburn, 
Mechanic Falls, Livermore Falls, Lisbon Falls, and Lisbon Center — 
have public water supplies. The last two mentioned are, however, 
the only ones using underground sources. 

The village of Lisbon Center has a public supply owned by Mr. 
Herbert G. Spear, the water being derived from springs. The suppl}" 
is distributed from a tank through galvanized-iron pipe, and the 
water is called good. The amount used per day is reported to be 



104 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

1,500 gallons. The pressure is 15 pounds. The water mains are 
about 1 mile in length, and there are 30 taps. There is no fire service. 
Lisbon Falls obtains its supply by direct pressure from two springs 
owned by the Sylvester Aqueduct Company. 

CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Cumberland County lies in the southwestern part of the State, 
bordering on Casco Bay and extending inland toward the New 
Hampshire line. It has a length north and south of about 45 miles 
and a breadth east and west of about the same distance, and covers 
a total area of 1,014 square miles. The population according to the 
census of 1900 was 100,689. This county contains Portland, the 
largest city of Maine, which in 1900 had a population of 55,167. The 
count}" includes many large lakes, especially in the western part, 
the largest being Sebago and Long lakes and Thompson Pond. 
It contains nearly the whole of the Presumpscot River system, Saco 
River follows the western edge for 16 miles, and Androscoggin River 
near its mouth borders the eastern corner for a similar distance. The 
county is relatively hilly, ranging in altitude from sea level to more 
than 1,300 feet above sea level in the northwestern part. Along the 
coast are scores of islands, large and small, which are utilized exten- 
sively as summer resorts. A map of Cumberland County, showing 
the distribution of deep wells, important springs, and communities 
having pubhc supplies, forms PL XII. 

In the interior districts of Cumberland County the prevaiHng type 
of well is the old-fashioned dug well, but in the vicinity of Portland 
and on the various islands of Casco Bay drilled wells are abundant 
and are generally successful. The range in depth is from 30 feet to 
more than 800 feet, the most common depth being between 50 and 
100 feet. A few drilled wells in the vicinity of Portland and a number 
of driven wells on the flood plain of Androscoggin River near Bruns- 
wick overflow. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 

RELATION TO ROCKS AND SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

Character and distribution of rock types. — As in Androscoggin County, 
the prevailing type of rock is granite. Only the region in the southern 
part of the county, lying between Sebago Lake and the sea, and small 
areas along the coast and on the islands, consist of slate and schist. 
These areas include Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarboro, South Port- 
land, Gorham, parts of Windham, Westbrook, Deering, Freeport, 
and the island portions of Cumberland and Yarmouth. In the ex- 
treme northeastern part of the county, in much of Harpswell and in 
the eastern half of Brunswick, is an area of ^^ complex" in which 



U. { 



( ^ 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE XII 




MAP OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 
Showing distribution of deep wells, important springs, and comnnunities having public supplies. 



CUMBEKLAND COUNTY. 105 

granites and gneisses alternate with slates, schists, and other rocks, 
which can not be subdivided in mapping. 

Along the coast between Cape Elizabeth and Brunswick the rock 
varies in nature from hard, gneissic, and locally almost granitic rock 
to a very soft and schistose formation. The prevailing strike is north- 
eastward, and this peculiarity accounts for the northeast-southwest 
elongation of the islands in Casco Bay. In general, the stratification 
and cleavage coincide rather closely in strike, although they may vary 
considerably in dip. Here and there the strata are much contorted, 
but the cleavage is generally rather uniform and for the most part 
nearly vertical, although in places it is considerably inclined. On 
Peaks Island the strike averages N. 40° to 60° E., and the dip ranges 
from 30° to 60° NW. The cleavage there is parallel to the dip. In 
many places the cleavage planes are open and would seem to allow 
opportunity for considerable water to penetrate downward into the 
rocks. 

The mainland of Portland and parts of Deering and Westbr^ok 
differ considerably from the coast and islands, being composed of 
nearly pure slate which shows little trace of schistosity. This is the 
general type of slate found farther inland in Maine. In Portland and 
vicinity the slates are cut by intruded trap and granite dikes. At 
many places near its borders the granite contains masses of slate, 
and, like the slate, it is cut by dikes of trap. This indicates that the 
slate was the first rock formed, that is was intruded by great masses 
of molten granite, and that later both slate and granite were intruded 
by small masses of basic rock in the form of dikes w^hich may now be 
seen cutting those rocks. 

The joint cracks in the vicinity of Portland correspond in trend 
to those developed in other parts of the State. On the other harbor 
islands the main joints trend approximately N. 30° E., and N. 70° W. 
At Woodfords they are irregular. Some are nearly vertical, and the 
most persistent hade is toward the northwest, but a few vertical joints 
run in an east-west direction. One of the best exposures of this slate 
can be seen in a large ledge at Fish Point, in the Grand Trunk Rail- 
way yards at Portland. 

On the islands in Casco Bay the cleavage is inclined at a high angle 
with the stratification, the latter being much contorted. In places 
the cleavage and stratification correspond, but such agreement is 
generally accidental. The strike of the cleavage is N. 40° E., and the 
hade is from 30° to 90° NW. In places the rock is very shaly. The 
joint cracks at these places are very irregular, but one s^^stem runs 
between N. 20° W. and N. 50° W. These joints are rather numerous, 
but not persistent. The rock contains a great many quartz A^eins. 

The structure of the slate and its adaptability for holding water 
are shown by phenomena recorded in the drilling of wells at Portland. 



106 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

In one well the drill dropped several inches when water was struck 
at a depth of 288 feet. 

Surface deposits. — The surface deposits of Cumberland County are 
very diversified in nature. In the .towns bordering the coast there 
are large areas covered by clay, which in many places is in turn over- 
lain by flat sand deposits. The upper surface of the clay is not flat 
but undulating, so that the overlying sand is not everywhere of the 
same thickness. Along the coast the clay does not in general rise 
more than 60 feet above tide, but in the valleys of Presumpscot and 
other rivers it is in places as high as 150 feet. The clay and sand 
plains are several square miles in extent. The clay is also underlain 
in many places b}^ sand and gravel in which water may generally be 
found. A typical section showing the relations of the clay to the 
other deposits is exposed at Portland. 

Typical section of drift at Portland. 

Feet. 

Dark-brown clay with a few bowlders 10 

Fine stratified sand 8 

18 
Another type of section is as follows: 

Section of drift near WestbrooJc. 

Feet. 

Coarse heterogeneous gravel * 5 

Stratified dark-brown clay 6 

Fine horizontally-stratified sand 3 

Coarse semistratified gravel 5 

19 

The following section is exposed in a cut in Munjoy Hill on Wash- 
ington street, Portland: 

Section on Munjoy Hill, Portland. 

Feet. 

i. Coarse gravel 3 

2. Stratified gravel 10 

3. Stratified, contorted, and eroded clay 5 

4. Hard blue bowlder clay lO-f 

28-f 

On top of No. 3 in this section a large amount of water can be seen 
seeping out of the hill. On the east side of the hill there are great 
gullies from which springs issue, apparently on top of the same bed. 
As a reservoir is situated on the summit, it is possible that the water 
has its source in leakage. 

A few exposures in the city of Portland show that the upper part 
of both hills on which the city is built consists of gravel, while rock 
forms the core at depths of 100 feet or so below the summit. Con- 
siderable areas in Portland outside the peninsula consist of clay rising 
to a maximum height of 100 feet above tide. Generally these clays 



CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 107 

are underlain by sand or gravel which may contain water. In some 
of the brickyards considerable water seeps out of the clay near its 
base. The top of Bramhall Hill is reported to have once been a 
swamp, and the water which seeps out around both sides of the hill 
probably comes from tliis source. Springs are reported to have once 
been abundant on this liill. 

Away from the coast the drift is thinner. On the highlands it is 
generally of the ordinary type of bowlder clay, from 1 to 10 feet or 
more tliick. About Sebago Lake, however, and in some of the 
broader valleys there are flat sand deposits of considerable thickness. 
Some undulating sand and gxavel deposits are found on the highlands. 

Buried valleys. — In most places the stratified drift deposits are un- 
derlain b}^ rock at no considerable depth. Elsewhere, however, along 
ancient buried river valleys, the clay is of great thickness. Such a 
structure is found underneath Fore River between Portland and 
South Portland, where borings made during the construction of 
Vaughan's bridge showed the bed rock descending with a fairly regular 
drop from sea level at Portland to 110 feet below tide on the South 
Portland shore. A short distance south of this place the rock 
reaches the surface again and outcrops near Cape Elizabeth depot. 
In the construction of Vaughan's bridge two rows of 13 borings each 
were put down as tests. A sample record of the strata passed through 
is as follows: 

Record of boring at Vaughan's bridge, Fore River, Portland. 

Feet. 

1. Water 11.9 

2. Soft black silt 21. 4 

3. Soft silty sand and peat 21. 

4. Very soft blue clay with silt 52. 8 

5. Coarse gravel and sand, hard 2. 4 

6. Slate. 

109. 5 

No. 3 is nearly pure peat in some borings; in others it is made up 
largely of sand. It is reported in only 10 out of the 26 borings, and 
when mixed with sand has a thickness of 5 to 30 feet, rising within 
33 feet of mean low water. No. 4 is typical blue clay, and its surface 
rises from 55 feet below tide at South Portland to low-water level at 
Portland. No. 5 is a stony bowlder clay. 

The two kinds of buried valleys, those in the clay surface and those 
in the underlying bed rock, indicate that Fore Kiver was the outlet 
for a stream of some size both before and after the deposition of the 
clay. It is probable that rock valleys of this kind extend many miles 
inland at several points along the coast, although they can not be 
traced on the surface owing to the great thickness of glacial drift. 
It may be expected that water supplies mil be found by driUing wells 
in these filled vallevs at some distance back from the coast. 



108 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

AVELLS. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Types of wells used. — In Cumberland Count}^, as nearly everywhere 
else in Maine, open wells are by far the most abundant type. The 
most common depth is probably 25 feet, and the wells are usually dug 
m bowlder clay or gravel. As a rule they are fairly successful, but 
the quahty, volume, head, and persistence of the water vary greatly. 
A few wells, such as some of those driven on the flood plain of Andros- 
coggm River for the towns of Brunswick and Topsham, obtain flows 
of water from a depth of 25 to 35 feet. This is possible only in a few 
favored locahties. In some localities wells driven tlu"ough soft clay 
into the underlying sands and gravels obtain water of good quality. 
Drilled wells are generally successful. 

Drilled wells. — In Cumberland County there are no deep wells sunk 
exclusively in drift; however, the borings for Yaughan's bridge in 
Portland go to a depth of 110 feet below tide before striking rock. 
Tliis suggests the possibihty of getting water along similar buried 
valleys. It may be worth wliile to mention the case of the Merrimac 
Valley in Massachusetts, where a number of wells were drilled mto 
the gravels underlying the clays at considerable depths and a few 
floA\dng weUs were obtained. Although there is no certainty that 
similar weUs could be obtained in Maine, it is probable that wells sunk 
at any point along the old valleys would obtain plenty of water. 

In Cumberland County the number of drilled weUs which have been 
sunk is somewhat over 120. The diameter of these weUs varies from 
4 to 8 inches according to the situation and the quantity of water 
desired, but the common diameter is 6 inches. The depth ranges from 
40 feet in a few wells to 830 feet in an unsuccessful well drilled at the 
Maine General Hospital. 

Quantity of water. — The most common depth of well is 50 to 100 
feet, and the depth to the principal vein of water is generally mthin 
the same hmits. Some wells, however, find the principal water vein 
as deep as 200 feet. The wells are most closely grouped at Portland 
and on some of the islands in Casco Bay and in the town of Standish. 
Most of them are successful, although in a few no water was obtained, 
and a few wells are reported along the coast in wliich the only result 
was salt water wliich had probably penetrated inward from the sea. 
The quantity of water found varies greatly, from less than a gallon 
to 60 gallons a minute. The common capacity is not more than 10 
gallons a minute. The best wells known in the county are at Port- 
land. Generally the wells are permanent, but it has been necessary 
to drill a few of them deeper, and some have been abandoned because 
of decrease in supply. 



CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 109 

Quality of water. — As elsewhere in Maine, the quahty of the water 
is dependent largely on the kind of rock in which the well is drilled. 
It is found that the lowest amount of total solids is generally obtained 
from granite, although typical hard blue slate of the type found on the 
mainland at Portland generally gives water of moderate mineral con- 
tent. Where the rocks are more schistose, however, and especially 
where they are mixed mth trap and granite, approaching the type 
known as '^complex," the water is of poorer quahty, generally being 
higher in sulphates and carbonates and more commonly containing 
iron. There is probably no place in Cumberland County where the 
water is so liighly charged ^dth mineral matter as to be unsuitable 
for use in boilers, but sea water has penetrated and ruined a few wells. 
Generally the well waters of this county are low in mineral matter, 
and where kept safe from pollution by organic matter they are per- 
fectly satisfactory for drinking. The table of analyses on pages 77-83 
shows that the total soHds in rock wells in this county run from 25 to 
more than 600 parts per million, ^\dth one higher report (2,008) due 
to sea water. The ordinary amount of total soHds is from 100 to 150 
parts, and the hardness from 16 to 176. 

Uses. — Most of the wells in Cumberland County are used for domes- 
tic suppHes. In Portland, however, they are used in several office 
buildings for both drinking and boilers and in a number of factories. 
On the islands of Casco Bay they are used to supply summer cottages. 
Several of these islands have installed pubUc supplies from rock 
sources. Bruns^vick has a supply from deep wells in gravel and sand. 
Most of the wells of the county are pumped by hand or by ^^'indmill, 
but those used for public supply and some private weUs are pumped 
by power. Several of the forts in Casco Bay are supplied by weUs. 

Flowing wells. — In Cumberland County 10 flowing wells are reported, 
exclusive of the wells of the Brunswick and Topsham water district, 
which flow at times. Most of these are situated on the islands of 
Casco Bay, but one of them is in Gorham and one in Westbrook. 
The greatest head is about 3 feet above the surface, and. the greatest 
yield is about 2 gallons a minute. With few exceptions the water 
is suitable for any use. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

City of Portland. — The drinking-water problem is not pressing in 
the city of Portland, for the reason that an excellent supply is obtained 
from Sebago Lake, a body of water so large that it is little affected 
by any polluting influence. However, the number of summer cot- 
tages and hotels situated on the lake and its tributaries is increasing 
rapidly, and several steamboat lines are run regularly on the lake. 
It is feared, therefore, that the water may in time become dangerous 
if no precautions are taken to stop the increase of contaminating 



110 UNDEKGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. ' 

iiillueiiccs. (See p. 125.) But at present the water supply of the 
mainland portions of the city is excellent, and the advantage of wells 
lies principally in a saving of water bills. Several companies and 
individuals have drilled deep wells for that reason, and on the islands 
of the harbor a number have been sunk for supplying summer 
cottages. In all, more than 30 drilled wells have been sunk within 
the city limits. 

The deepest well known to have been drilled in the State of 
Maine was sunk in 1902 at the Maine General Hospital, on Western 
Promenade, overlooking the union station. This well was sunk to 
a depth of 830 feet. It was drilled by an experienced driller, who 
contracted to supply 16 gallons of water a minute, the price of 
the well being $2,000. Only 3 gallons a minute were obtained, and 
this was not sufficient for the hospital needs. The driller requested 
permission to ''shoot" the well with 200 pounds of dynamite, but 
his request was refused and the well was abandoned. 

This well was situated 150 feet distant from a successful well 505 
feet in depth at the same hospital, which obtained 13 gallons of water 
a minute and cost $3,290, includmg the engine and pump. This well 
was sunk in 1902 to a depth of 100 feet. A year later it was deep- 
ened to 505 feet, its present depth. The first 24 feet of this well is 
through gravel, the next 76 feet through clay, and the rest through 
slate. It yields more than 21,000 gallons of water a day, and the 
water is of very good quality. The analysis (No. 45) shows 177 
parts per million of dissolved solids. The sanitary analysis showed 
the water to be perfectly safe. 

In the well drilled for Mr. D. F. Emory^ the following strata were 
encountered : 

Record of D. F. Emory ivell, Portland. 

Feet. 

Fine sand. .•- 12 

Gravel and sand 30 

Hard ''sandstone " 10 

Rock 76 

128 

In a 298^-foot well belonging to Burgess, Forbes & Co. the strata 
were as follows: 

Section of Burgess, Forbes & Co. well, Portland. 

Feet. 

Gravel 14 

Clay 65 

Clay and gravel 18 

Clay ' 52 

Slate - 61 

''Granite" 88^ 

298| 



CUMBERLAND COUNTY. Ill 

If the ^^ granite" is really granite, it indicates the extreme irregu- 
larity in distribution of this rock beneath Cumberland County. 

One of the best wells in the cit}^ is that belonging to Mrs. Mar}^ J. 
Frazer, at the corner of Franklin and Fore streets. This is a flowing 
well 210 feet deep, in slate. It is pumped by a ^\'indmill and is 
reported to yield 25 gallons of water a minute and to supply drinking 
water for a large number of tenements in the vicinity. Water was 
obtained at a number of different depths, but the best vein was 
tapped at the bottom of the well. The o^\Tier reports the use of tliis 
well as a great saving in expense over city water. It is a fine, clear 
water, and contains 25 parts per million of total sohds, a lower amount 
than exists in the water of any other deep well in the city. An 
interesting feature regarding this well is that although it is situated 
but a few hundred feet from the sea, where the normal amount of 
clilorine is over 6 parts per million, only 1.4 parts of chlorine were 
found in this water. This may mean that the water comes from a 
source some distance inland. 

An unsuccessful well was drilled in 1887 for the Consolidated 
Electric Light Company of Maine, on Plum street. This well is 8 
inches in diameter. Salt water was struck at 140 feet from the sur- 
face, and the well was drilled to 204 feet in the hope of getting water 
of better quality. It yielded 65 gallons a minute, and the well could 
not be pumped dry, but the water was too salty for use. The weU 
was then plugged at a depth of 145 feet. An analysis was made, 
and the result showed the total solids to amount to 2,008 parts per 
million, of which 1,912 were readily soluble and 96 insoluble by 
heating. The water was rather alkaline and contained a trace of 
iron. The analyses showed that there was less calcium carbonate 
than before plugging and that nearly all the magnesium carbonate 
was shut off; the sodium cliloride increased considerably. The 
water has great tendency to scale and corrode the boilers. As the 
total solids in this water do not approach the amount in sea water, 
it can not be pure ocean water, but is considerably diluted with, rock 
water. 

Another unusual well is the one belonging to Mr. James P. Baxter, 
at Baxter Block. Mr. Baxter reports his well water to be better 
than Sebago water, because the latter will show a slight sediment on 
standing, whereas that from his well will not. This well nearly 
flows. It is said that when the drilling had reached a depth of 76 
feet no water had been found, but at that depth the drill suddenly 
dropped for a distance of more than 80 feet through a cavernous space. 
If this report is accurate, it is probable that a vertical joint crack of 
considerable size was encountered. 

The well drilled for E. T. Burro wes & Co. is 106 feet deep and 
becomes a flowing well in the spring. Analysis of this water showed 
pollution by sewage, and it is not used for drinking. 



112 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

On account of the general use of Sebago water in Portland there 
are few dug wells within the city limits. The former town of Deering 
now belongs to Portland and has for years used the city supply. 
There are a few dug wells in the vicinity of Woodfords, but these are 
not used for drinking water, as the population has become too dense 
to make water from shallow wells safe. In quality the Portland 
water is very good, as regards both purity from pollution and low 
mineral content. The analyses of waters from 11 deep wells in the 
city are given in the table (Nos. 37 to 47). 

Peaks Island, Portland. — The shore of Peaks Island consists almost 
entirely of bare rock and bowlder clay, but the interior, rising at 
points to a height of more than 80 feet above tide, is covered in places 
by sand and cla}^ which are locally 20 feet or more in thickness. 
The rock consists of slate and sand}^ schist striking northeast and 
having a nearly vertical dip. In hardness the rock varies greatly, 
as it is cut b}^ a great many small veins of quartz. 

There are many open wells on the island, the most common depth 
of which is 15 feet, and these generally afford plenty of water. The 
capacity of some of them has been increased by blasting a few feet 
in ledge. On account of the increasing summer population of the 
island surface wells are no longer safe. Wherever practicable their 
use should be discontinued and deep wells or the public supply be 
substituted. 

Drilling on the island is comparatively easy, and a number of 
deep wells have been sunk. Their depth ranges from 45 to more 
than 200 feet. The best wells on the island are the two drilled for 
the Peaks Island Water and Light Company, which are 202 feet 
deep. These wells are connected b}^ a natural fissure below the 
surface and together will yield 85 gallons a minute with the pumps 
running twenty-four hours a day. 

On Peaks Island there is one flowing well, belonging to Mr. C. W. 
T. Goding, of the Casco Bay Steamship Company. The mouth is 
onl}^ a few feet above tide. This is an 8-inch well, 135 feet deep. By 
pumping, it yields 52 gallons of water a minute. No failures are 
known on the island, but two or more wells obtain only 2 or 3 gallons 
a minute each. A few people have used springs, but these are now 
abandoned. Two analyses of deep-well waters on this island are 
given in the table (Nos. 35 and 36). 

Great Diamond Island, Portland. — The surface of Great Diamond 
Island is mostly bowlder clay, with slaty ledge outcroppiug in a 
few places. The west side of the island is low; the east side is high 
and rockv. The rock is similar to that on Peaks Island, but is more 
slate than schist. Many wells here, even including two of those belong- 
ing to the water company, are only open wells a few feet in depth, 
some of them blasted 2 or 3 feet into the ledge. Two wells drilled 



CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 113 

on the western shore for the Diamond Island Association were suc- 
cessful; they yield 12 and 15 gallons a minute and now supply about 
60 buildings, mostly cottages. The water is found at a depth of 
about 100 feet in gneiss. Analysis No. 31 gives the composition 
of water in one of these wells, and No. 32 is a field assay from the 
other. 

■ At Fort McKinley, on the north end of Great Diamond Island, 
seven wells have been drilled at various times for the United States 
Government. They range from 95 to 302 feet in depth, and water 
is found at depths of 80 to 100 feet. Two or more of them were 
abandoned because of insufficient supplies, but the rest yield a 
maximum amount of 4 to 40 gallons a minute. The detailed descrip- 
tion of these wells may be of benefit in future deep drilling on neigh- 
boring islands. 

Well No. 1, 97i feet deep, overflowed the surface before pumping. 
The test showed 25 gallons a minute. Well No. 2, 95 feet deep, 
situated 150 feet east of No. 1, taps the same vein, and before pump- 
ing the water overflowed the surface. In the test it showed 30 gallons 
a minute by pumping, and when pumped with No. 1 it will supply 
48 gallons a minute. Well No. 3, situated 150 feet south of No. 1, 
is 265 feet deep. The test showed 15 gallons a minute. Well No. 
4, situated 300 feet northwest of No. 1, is 302 feet deep and supplied 
14 gallons a minute in the test. In wells Nos. 3 and 4 the water 
stands at 15 to 20 feet below the surface. The pumps are down 
125 feet and 150 feet, respectively. In these wells 15 to 18 feet of 
drift was penetrated on top of the rock; the remainder is schist, 
much of which contains pyrites. The total capacity of all four 
wells during the wet season of 1902 and 1903 was 84 gallons a minute. 
The total capacity during the dry season of 1904 and 1905 was 30 
gallons a minute. In dry seasons wells Nos. 1 and 2 can be exhausted. 

Little Diamond Island, Portland. — Little Diamond Island is situ- 
ated just south of Great Diamond and is connected with it at low 
tide by a sand bar. So far as the structure of the rocks is concerned, 
it is but a continuation of Great Diamond Island. On Little Dia- 
mond one well has been drilled to a depth of 170 feet and obtains 4 
gallons a minute from 160 feet below the surface. Most of the wells 
on this island are dug wells less than 20 feet in depth. These are 
perfectly safe if situated on the uphill side of all houses. At the 
east end of Little Diamond Island is a light-house at which the 
Government has a well 171 feet deep. The water in this well is 
salt}^ and contains total solids amounting to 460 parts per million, 
the chlorine being 397 parts, carbonates 80 parts, and sulphates also 
high. The unusual composition is due probably to a considerable 
admixture of sea water."* 
59969— IRB 223—09 8 



114 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

House Island, Portland. — House Island consists of solid rock round 
the sides, but there is some drift on top. On this island a single 
well was sunk to a depth of 170 feet. It is reported to supply 15 
gallons a minute. 

Cusliing Island, Portland. — Gushing Island is the most southerly of 
the group of islands in Portland Harbor, and is about a mile in 
length. The cover, of till, is 1 to 5 feet or more in thickness, and the 
underlying rock is schistose gneiss of var3dng degrees of hardness. 
This island is a better collector of water than some of the others, 
because it has a few depressions in the surface and less bare rock. 
The principal system of joint cracks here strikes N. 40° to 50° W. 
and hades N. 25° from the vertical, the joints being from 3 to 10 
feet apart. A second system strikes N. 80° W. to N. 70° E. and hades 
N. 10°. The third system, probably sheet joints, strikes north and 
south and dips toward the west at 20° to 30° from the horizontal. 
Along the shore a great many irregular joints can be seen. 

On this island there are several private wells which strike water 
at depths of 80 to 275 feet, and the United States Government has 
drilled four or more wells at Fort Levett. There are a few dug wells 
on the island, but most of the residents use water from a drilled well 
belonging to Mr. Gushing. 

The most extensive drilling on the island was for Fort Levett. 
Here several wells have been sunk and abandoned. Official records 
have been kept of only the three most recent ones. Well No. 1 
struck rock at 18 feet and was cased to 28 feet. Its total depth is 
277.2 feet. A forty-eight hour test on January 4, 1906, showed 
30 gallons of water a minute. The rock resembles hard mica schist 
or quartzite. The pump barrel is down 150 feet. When pumped 
the water falls below this level. Well No. 2, drilled in 1906, is 326 
feet deep. It penetrates 11 feet of soil and clay and is cased to a 
depth of 74 feet. The water level before pumping stands within 20 
feet of the surface, but while pumped it stands 300 feet lower. On 
the test this well supplied 10 gallons of water a minute, but this was 
not considered enough, and a new well was drilled. Such a well 
should not be abandoned, as 10 gallons a minute is a good yield in 
Maine. Well No. 3 struck rock at 15 feet and is cased to 27 feet. 
The water stands 20 feet below the surface. On January 3, 1907, 
it was 176 feet deep, but no report has been obtained since it was 
completed. 

Long Island, Portland. — The rock on Long Island is mostly schist, 
which splits easily along the bedding planes, standing nearly vertical 
The island contains a great many cottages, but no public supply is 
used. The only wells are of the old-fashioned open type. 

ijow Island, Portland. — A flowing well is reported to have been 
drilled at Fort Lyon, on Gow Island, in 1906. The natural flow was 6 



CUMBEKLAND COUNTY. 115 

gallons a minute, and the capacity b}^ pumping is reported to be 
40 gallons a minute. 

Gorham. — A number of drilled wells have been sunk in the town 
of Gorham, and so far as known they have been successful, as regards 
both quality and quantity of water. The deepest well is that of Mr. 
J. H. Rines, in the eastern corner of the town. This well was drilled 
all the way in solid rock. The drilled wells are about a dozen in 
number, and range in depth from 40 to 307 feet, generally supplying 
enough water for domestic purposes from a formation which is mostly 
slate. In the eastern part of the town the dug wells average 15 feet 
in depth and contain, as a rule, 5 or 6 feet of water in the dry spell, 
though some of them dry up. One dug well is more than 60 feet 
deep, in till, and for fifty years has never been known to be dry. The 
analysis of water from a 66-foot rock well is given in the table (No. 30). 

Westbrook. — The formation at Westbrook is for the most part 
slate, but the northern part of the town is underlain by granite. 
The bed rock is only a few feet below the surface. In that section 
the wells are open wells, only 10 to 20 feet in depth. Many wells go 
dry during the summer, but those blasted a few feet in ledge give 
plenty of water. 

In the vicinity of Saccarappa there are two flowing wells, one 
owned by Mr. Rufus Jordan, the other by the Haskell Silk Compan}^. 
These wells are both 216 feet in depth and obtain their flows near 
the bottom of the well. The surface rock is slate, but one or both 
wells are reported to enter granite. It is possible that the flow may 
be caused by the penetration of water downward from the hills 
along the contact between the granite and the slate, but this con- 
clusion has not been definitely proved. The composition of the 
water in the flowing wells is given in the table (Nos. 51 and 53). 

CJiebeague Island, Cumberland. — Chebeague Island is the largest 
of the islands in Casco Bay, being more than 3 miles in length. Like 
other islands of the bay, it consists mostly of schist, but the surface 
of the interior is made up in part of sand. It is easy to get water from 
shallow wells, and for that reason only one drilled well has been sunk 
on the island. The depths of the dug wells are only 6 to 20 feet. The 
water is mostly safe for drinking. The abundance of water on this 
island is due to the thickness of the drift covering and to a swampy 
depression which lies on the high land of the interior. The only 
drilled well is owned by Mr. E. A. Ballard. This well was drilled to 
a depth of 52 feet and obtained plenty of water. Later it was sunk 
to 80 feet, and still later to 301 feet. The latter extension was un- 
successful, not increasing the supply. The water is good and clear, 
and the supply has increased in volume through natural causes since 
the well was drilled. The amount is small, but is sufficient for 
domestic purposes at the cottage. 



116 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Little Cliebeagne Island, Oumherland. — Little Chebeague Island 
bears the same relation to Chebeague Island that Little Diamond 
Island bears to Great Diamond. Little Chebeague is connected with 
the mam island at low water by a sand bar. All over the island 
the drift is tliick, 40 feet or more of it being ex]:)0sed in a nearly vertical 
cKff on the north side. On top of this bluff, not many feet from the 
edge, a well was drilled to a depth of 197 feet. Rock was struck at 
about 100 feet. The water is good and was at first plentiful, but the 
supply has diminished until now there is not enough to supply one 
family. Another well should be drilled to the east of this, and it is 
believed that there is an even chance of obtainuig a better well. On 
this island a dozen or more cottages use open wells. 

^Yindllam. — The toA\Ti of Windham is rather hilly, and the rock 
consists mostly of slate and schist. The wells are nearly all open 
wells, 10 to 40 feet in depth, but at South Windham two drilled wells 
have been sunk. One of these was a failure owing to improper cas- 
ing ; the other well supplies plenty of water for three or four families. 
^Most of the people in the village use Sebago Lake water, as the 
Portland aqueduct runs near the village. A few springs emerging 
from gravel have been used in the vicinity, and the mills obtain 
water from this source. There is plenty of water in the gravel, and 
its quality seems to be Yery good. Some of the dug wells run dry^ 
during the summer. 

Scarhoro. — The greater part of the town of Scarboro consists of 
broad sand and clay plains rising from sea level to 100 feet or more 
above tide. On these plains the water level is only a few feet below 
the surface and excellent soft water can generally be obtained by 
driven wells, at a cost of only $12 to $15. The size of pipe com- 
monlv used is It inches. 

In this town drilled wells are generalh' unnecessar}", but on the 
hills and in some localities where the rock approaches the surface 
it is necessary to drill. On the road running from West Scarboro 
to Portland several wells have been drilled, which range in depth 
from 50 to 200 feet. The}^ generally yield plenty of water for a 
house and farm. One of them, on the H. J. Libbey estate, gave 3 J 
gallons a minute for three and one-half hours in the test. In this 
part of town there are a number of dug wells 15 to 20 feet in depth. 
The formation on the hills and underneath the drift is slate. 

In West Scarboro the deep wells are good, but most of them are 
less than 50 feet in depth. A number of springs in the vicinity are 
used to supply houses in the village. Some wells are bored in clay, 
and a few of these have been unsuccessful. Most wells here, how- 
ever, supply enough water for a family from a depth of 30 to 35 feet. 
The best water is obtained by penetrating the clay. 



CUMBEELAND COUNTY. 117 

At Pine Point Beach the wells are only 10 to 15 feet deep, driven 
in sand. On Blue Point Hill the wells are all dug, and some of them 
fail in summer. On Prouts Neck the formation is all rock. Condi- 
tions there have not been investigated, but it is probable that water 
can be obtained by deep drilling. 

Cafe Elizabeth. — The coast of Cape Elizabeth is y^yy high and 
rocky and is greatly appreciated as a summer resort. The few wells 
that have been drilled along the coast range in depth from 60 to 120 
feet, supplying summer cottages. The Shore Acres Land Company, 
however, has a well 151 J feet deep, which supplies a number of 
houses with good water. Away from the coast the w^ells are mostly 
shallow and are driven or dug in sand and gravel. In quality the 
rock water is generalh^ good. An analysis of water from a 115-foot 
well at Cape Cottage reports 140 parts per million of total solids. The 
calcium here is 43 parts per million, which is high for southwestern 
Maine. 

South Portland. — The coast of South Portland is mostly bold and 
rocky, like that of Cape Elizabeth. The surface varies from rocky 
hills to plains of clay overlain b}^ sand. Nearly the whole town uses 
Portland water, and there is little demand felt for drilled wells. 
Several shallow wells on the clay plain penetrate the undertying 
gravel and obtain water of good quality. No drilled wells are 
reported. An interesting set of borings made for Vaughans Bridge 
is described under Portland (p. 107). 

Fahnouth. — The surface of Falmouth is made up of clay and sand 
plains rising to an altitude of 100 feet, broken by low hills of schist 
and granite. Throughout the town the wells are shallow and the con- 
ditions are variable. Part of the town is now using Sebago Lake 
water. In the southern part a number of drilled wells have been 
sunk, some of them more than 100 feet, and the chances for water 
have been found to be fairly good. 

At Falmouth Foreside the Underwood Mineral Spring is situated. 

Clapboard Island, Falmouth. — On Clapboard Island a single well 
has been drilled by Mr. S. F. Houston. It reached a depth of 210 feet. 
No information regarding this well has been received. 

Standish. — In the town of Standish much drilling has been done, 
18 wells having been put down by a single driller. The wells range 
in depth from 40 to 90 feet. The drilled wells are mostly open wells 
which have been deepened because of previous insufficient supply. 
The volume of water is still small, but is sufficient for all farm pur- 
poses, in some wells amounting to 10 gallons a minute. Some of 
these wells can not be pumped dry, but most of them are exhausted in 
a short time. 

The well of Mr. Frank II. Rand was originally a 30-foot open 
well, blasted 22 feet in ledge. There was little water, and the owner 



118 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

drilled to a depth of 60 feet, striking a pocket of water, which soon 
gave out. The well was afterwards deepened to 79 feet and obtained 
10 gallons a minute. Most of the wells have been drilled in rock, but 
several near the village of Sebago Lake penetrate nearly 40 feet of 
sand. As a rule the water comes from crevices in a schistose rock. 
One shallow drilled well in Standish contained so much iron that it 
was not used. The only evidence of the composition of water in this 
town is derived from a field assay (No. 50). 

Bridgton. — The town of Bridgton is believed to be entirely under- 
lain by granite. In the village and town much drilling has been done 
at various times, 14 wells having been sunk b}^ one driller. The 
depths range from 40 to 290 feet. So far as known, the wells of mod- 
erate depth have been successful, and a 200-fqot well seems also to 
have been satisfactory. A well 290 feet in depth, however, was 
drilled for the Bridgton Aqueduct Company and 34elded veiy little 
water. This is one of many examples showing the uselessness of 
sinking wells below 200 feet or so in granite. At North Bridgton 
and elsewhere wells are dug and seem to be mostly satisfactory. Sev- 
eral field assays (Nos. 3, 4, 6^ and 7) of water from Bridgton wells 
have been made, but only one complete analysis (No. 5) . 

Harrison. — Several wells have been drilled at various times in the 
town of Harrison, one of them, liigh on a hill, being 90 feet deep and 
successful. Other wells — as several at Bolsters Mills — were only 
about 40 feet deep and obtained water, but were abandoned in favor 
of a spring supply wdiich is now used by that village. On the hills 
many people use excellent springs which issue from bowlder clay and 
are pumped b}^ ^\dndmills to houses higher up. 

Otisjield. — Several drilled wells have been sunk in Otisfield, and 
the conditions seem to be favorable for obtaining underground- 
water supplies, but no data are at hand. 

Brunswick. — Brunswick is an example of a city with a good water 
suppty, taken from driven wells on the flood plain of Androscoggin 
River, as explained under the heading '^Public supplies." Formerly 
the river water was used and typhoid fever was epidemic; later the 
water was purchased from Bath. So far as safety is concerned pri- 
vate wells are now unnecessary. In case individuals or companies 
desire to sink wells, they will probably succeed in getting sufficient 
water, either from shallow wells sunk through the surface sands and 
clays into underlying gravel or by drilling into rock. The former 
source is recommended for manufacturing establishments in situa- 
tions where the surface deposits are of sufficient thickness. 

Ilarpswell. — This part of the Maine coast is so uniformly rocky, 
and it is so difficult to get water from dug wells, that man}^ people 
at their summer cottages have resorted to the ancient custom of using 
cisterns and rain water. Few people in Harpswell use drilled wells. 



CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 119 

At the extreme end of Mere Point is one well 67 feet deep, in schist, 
which furnishes enough water for all the families — a dozen or more — 
having cottages on the end of the point. An analysis of the water 
from this well is given in the table (No. 33). 

Freeport. — The public supply of Freeport village comes from Frost 
Gulley Brook. In the town a number of wells have been drilled 
to depths var^^ng from 100 to 200 feet. They could not be pumped 
dry during a twenty-four-hour test and were used for some time, but 
were abandoned when the public supply was instituted. The well 
water is obtained in gneiss. Several wells at South Freeport, about 
100 feet deep, obtain enough water for domestic uses from granite. 
Casco Castle at South Freeport obtains its supply from a spring sit- 
uated 2 miles south of the hotel. Otherwise South Freeport uses 
shallow wells. 

Other towns. — In the towns of Baldwin, Sebago, Naples, and New 
Gloucester some drilled wells have been sunk, but they are rare and 
scattered. In Casco, Raymond, Pownal, Gray, and North Yarmouth 
no drilling is known to have been done, and only open wells, with 
perhaps a few driven wells, are used. 

SPRINGS. 

General statement. — In Cumberland County springs are abundant. 
The topography is varied, the covering of drift is in many places 
thick, and springs seep out along the bowlder-clay liillsides. In the 
country districts water is pumped from some of these springs by 
windmills or hydraulic rams to houses on the hills above. Where 
springs are not situated within limits of pollution from neighboring- 
houses the water is generally of good quality. One small village — 
Bolsters Mills — uses springs for a public supply. In many parts of 
the region covered by clay and sand plains it is common to find 
springs emerging from sand overlying clay. Some of these springs 
contain surprisingly small amounts of mineral matter and many are 
entirely free from organic matter. 

The commercial mineral springs in Cumberland County which re- 
port sales are as follows: 

Paradise Spring, Brunswick. 
Pownal Spring, New Gloucester. 
Raymond Spring, North Raymoiid. 
Underwood Spring, Falmouth Foreside. 

Paradise Spring. — Paradise Spring is situated in the eastern part 
of the town of Brunswick and is owned by D. D. Gilman & Bro., of 
Brunswick. It is renowned as having been a favorite resort of Na- 
thaniel Hawthorne. The spring lies at the foot of a steep sand bluff, 
rising above the flood plain of Androscoggin River, not far from the 
waterworks of the Brunswick and Topsham water district. It is 



120 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

supposed that the spnng water percohites out of the sand above its 
contact with the clay, as seen in a number of roadside springs in the 
vicinit}^. The water is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It has a tem- 
perature of 43° in winter and 45° in summer, and the stream coming 
out of the small pipe in the bank is reported by the owners to supply 
about 8 gallons a minute. This 3deld is said never to var}^ The sur- 
roundings are wooded, and there are no buildings in the vicinit}", 
so the spring is perfectty free from danger of pollution. The chemical 
composition is reported in analyses 217 and 218, recomputed from 
those reported in a circular issued by the owners. The total solids are 
only 18 parts per million. 

Formerly Paradise Spring water was sold in Brunswick, but since 
the new city water system was installed there has been no demand 
for mineral water and the owTiers have gone out of the business. The 
price at which it was marketed was 75 cents a 5-gallon carboy. There 
is no spring house or other improvement at the spring. 

Pownal Spring. — The so-called Pownal Spring is situated at New 
Gloucester, on rather high land, and there is believed to be no chance 
for pollution. The water is reported to flow from solid rock. Some 
3^ears ago the Pownal Spring Hotel Company was incorporated and 
the water was analyzed with a view to establisliing a hotel near the 
spring. The analysis, as recomputed from that reported in the com- 
pany's circular, is given in the table (No. 221). The total solids 
amount to only 20 parts per million. The owners claim valuable 
medicinal properties for the water. 

Raymond Spring. — Raymond Spring, situated at North Kaymond, 
about one-eighth mile northwest of North Raymond post-office, was 
for twenty years prior to 1905 known as Wilson Spring. It is re- 
ported to issue from a fissure in granite about 100 feet below the 
summit of a hill. Formerly there was a hotel here, but some years 
ago it was burned. The flow is large and is said to diminish only 
slightly in dry seasons. The water is clear and sparkling, odorless, 
and tasteless. As there are no houses near by, it seems to be per- 
fectly safe. It is used for drinking and medicinal purposes and is 
shipped and sold at 30 cents a gallon. The owners claim medicinal 
properties for it. An analysis of the water reported in a statement 
issued by the owners, recomputed into ions and parts per million, is 
given in the table (No. 222). 

TJTiderwood Mineral Spring. — Underwood Spring is situated at 
Falmouth Foreside, a few feet above sea level and only a short dis- 
tance from the shore in a gully, the sides of which consist of clay. 
It is owned by the Underwood Mineral Spring Company, of Portland. 
The water is believed to issue from sand directly on top of the cla}^. 
The spring is bricked up, and the upper of its two openings is covered 
by a large glass pyramid. The water is colorless, odorless, and taste- 



CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 121 

less. The flow is reported by the owners to be 140 gallons a minute, 
and the measured temperature is 46°. A large hotel is situated on 
the sand plain above the spring, several hundred yards distant from 
it. The locality is used as a resort, and the water is bottled and shipped 
for medicinal and table use. A 5-gallon carboy delivered on the train 
or in Portland sells for 75 cents. '^ Soft " drinks are also made. The 
bottling house is situated on the shore of the bay and the water flows 
directly from the spring to this place. The mineral analysis of the 
water, recalculated from the analysis of the water reported by the 
owners, is given in the table (No. 219). 

Summit Spring. — Summit Spring is situated on very high land in 
the northern part of the to\\Ti of Harrison. It is the site of a hotel, 
and formerly was extensively used. The yield is reported to be 38 
gallons a minute and the temperature 46°. The analysis shows the 
total solids to amount to 68.9 parts per million. 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

General statement. — The largest w^ater supply in Cumberland 
County comes from Sebago Lake, whence it is carried by an aqueduct 
to the city of Portland. The surrounding to^vtis also use this water 
where the Portland aqueduct lines are conveniently situated. Of the 
15 communities in Cumberland County which have pubhc water sup- 
phes 7 are supphed from surface sources, 4 from wefls, and 4 from 
springs. Six of the communities having surface suppHes use Sebago 
Lake water. These are Portland, South Portland, Cape EKzabeth, 
Westbrook, Gorham, and Falmouth Foreside. Freeport obtains its 
water from a brook. 

The most important underground-water supply in the county is 
that of Brunswick, which has combined with Topsham, in Sagadahoc 
County, to install a supply obtained from driven wells on the flood 
plain of Androscoggin River. Peaks Island, Great Diamond Island, 
and Cushing Island, in Portland Harbor, have public supplies from 
drilled wells. The communities using spring supplies are Yarmouth, 
Yarmouthville, Bolsters Mills, and Casco. All these supphes are de- 
scribed in detail below. 

Brunswiclc and Topsham. — Formerly the public supply of Bruns- 
wick was taken from Androscoggin River, and typhoid fever was 
prevalent in the village. That system was abandoned, and until 
recently water was purchased from the Woolwich Water Company, 
which supplies Woolwich and Bath from Lake Nequasset, in Woolwich. 
This supply was regarded as unsatisfactory; consequently, in 1904 
a water district was established, embracing the towns of Brunswick 
and Topsham, with a population of about 7,300 persons to be served, 
and a new source of supply was sought in driven wells. 



122 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

A test well, driven to liardj^an on the flood plain of Androscoggin 
River 1 J miles east of the Brunswick post-office, yielded an abundance 
of good water. Thereupon a number of other wells were driven in 
the same ^^cinity, 50 of which cons.titute the source from which the 
supply is taken. These wells are situated along a straight line ex- 
tending a distance of about half a mile on the flood plain, not more than 
10 feet above the river. Back of them rise several terraces, the 
highest of which is about 60 feet above the surface on which the 
wells are situated. At the base and along the sides of these terraces 
are many springs, the best known being the Paradise Spring, described 
on pages 119-120. The flood plain is composed of recent river 
deposits and is in places marsh}^. The upper terraces are composed 
of marine clays overlain by sand. The water seems to follow the 
upper surface of the clay beneath the sands and gravels, seeping out 
wherever the covering is thin or broken and saturating the sands and 
gravels to such an extent that they form practically an exhaustless 
reservoir. The facts that the water surface in the wells is considerably 
higher than the surface of the river and that its analysis is different 
from that of the river water show that the latter is not its source. 

The wells are all of about the same character. They are 2 J inches 
in diameter, with a depth of 25 to 35 feet, depending on the height of 
the surface above the river. The principal water bed is ver^^ coarse 
sand from 5 to 10 feet thick, overlain by 15 to 20 feet of finer sand 
and 3 to 6 feet of sand and clay. Underhung the water bed is a con- 
siderable depth of '^hardpan, " consisting of clay and sand. A test 
well was driven 155 feet, when bed rock was apparently encountered, 
as it was impossible to drive farther. Under normal conditions the 
water in the wells rises wdthin a foot of the surface, but in the spring 
and after heavy rains some of the wells flow, yielding about 5 gallons 
a minute. In order to estimate the capacity of the wells a test was 
undertaken, beginning September 21, 1904, and continuing night and 
day for thirty days. Nine wells were connected vrith. a fire pump 
having a 10-inch cylinder and a 12-inch stroke. The result of the 
tests showed an average yield of 1,003,732 gallons daily. The total 
yield fTom the entire series of wells is estimated at about 5,000,000 
gallons daily. 

The water supplied b}' the wells is as soft and excellent in quality 
as any other public suj^ph^ in Maine. Anal3"ses, recomputed into ions 
and parts per million from those reported by the compan}^, are given 
in the table (Nos. 177-179). 

From the weUs the water is pumped to a standpipe, 145 feet above 
the to^vn, having a capacity of 650,000 gallons. The mains are 13f 
miles in length. There are 80 fire hydrants in Brunswick. The 
average pressure is 60 pounds. About 5,000 people are suppHed 
with water. 



CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 123 

Peaks Island, Portland. — A large part of Peaks Island is supplied 
by a water system owTied by the Peaks Island Water and Light Com- 
pany. The water is obtained from two driUed wells situated close 
together near the south end of the island, not far from the yillage. 
The wells are sunk in soHd rock and are unusually satisfactory for 
driUed wells, as explained under the description of wells on Peaks 
Island (p. 112). They are pumped by two steam pumps. The 
test showed that 50 gallons a minute could be obtained from the 
older of the two weUs, this being the full capacity of the pump. 
During the test the water surface was lowered 35 feet. The test of 
the newer well showed 110 gallons a minute for seyen hours-, when the 
water gaye out. There is, howeyer, a plentiful suppl}^ of water in 
the two wells, and the}^ can be pumped together at the rate of 75 
gallons a minute day and night. The water mains belonging to this 
company are about 7 miles in length. Two miles of these are "under 
frost," or buried deep enough so that they can be used during the 
winter. The other 5 miles are "aboye frost" and for the most part 
on the surface. The pipes used are 8, 6, and 4 inches in diameter. 
The 0A\'ner, ^Ir. E. E. Rounds, reports that 255 takers are on his 
books. Most of these people are cottage holders, and they haye 
unlimited use of the water at SIO a 3^ear. Seyen hotels are on the 
system, and some of these pay as much as $100 a year. The water 
of the company has been analyzed, but the analysis has not been 
receiyed b}^ the Suryey. From a sanitary standpoint the water is 
beheyed to be as pure as could be desired. The pressure on the 
main street is 60 pounds. 

At the north end of Peaks Island there is a smaller system of 
waterworks, o\yned by the Beacon Hill Water Company, which has a 
drilled well 70 feet in depth pumped by a hot-air pump. More than 
30 buildings are reported to be supplied b}^ this system. 

Great Diamond Island, Portland. — Great Diamond Island is larD:ely 
supplied by a water system o\yQed by the Diamond Island Associa- 
tion. The water is obtained from wells, 2 of them being ordinary 
dug wells and 3 others being drilled to a considerable depth in solid 
rock. The dug wells are little used, as the water has been found not 
yery good. The drilled wells are pumped by hot-air engines and 
windmills. The supply is adequate for the island except sometimes 
in the summer season, when it is necessary to resort to priyate wells 
or to the surface wells owned by the company. It is supposed that 
about 60 cottages are supplied wdth water from these sources. The 
supply is satisfactory except that in summer the water becomes so 
warm, owing to the pipes being laid on the surface of the ground, 
that it is not used for drinking. In consequence of the position of 
the pipes the supply has to be discontinued during the winter. An 
analysis of water from one of the drilled wells is <riyen in the table 



124 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

(No. 31). Other data relative to the wells will be found on pages 
112-113. From the wells the water is pumped to a tank situated on 
the hill in the center of the island, the capacity of the tank being 
60,000 gallons and the pressure 30 pounds. A smaller tank is situated 
near by. There is no hre service. About 10,000 gallons a day are 
used . 

Cushing Island, Portland. — A hotel, stable, and about a dozen cot- 
tages on Cushing Island are supplied by a 275-foot well owned by 
^Ir. Francis Cushing. The water is pumped by a deep-well steam 
pump through 2J-inch pipe to three tanks on top of the hill. The 
well and pump are inclosed in a pump house, and the pump is oper- 
ated eight to nine hours a da}". At one tune it was tested five days 
continuously without failure, and the yield was variousl}^ reported 
at 40 to 70 gallons a minute. The water is fine and clear and has a 
measured temperature of 52°. 

Yarmouth and YarmoutJiville. — These villages have a public water 
supply from springs belonging to the Forest Paper Company, but 
the system is o^^^led by the town. The springs are reported to issue 
from sand at the base of a rocky hill at a rate of 100 gallons a minute. 
The water is distributed from a standpipe 100 feet in height and 50 
feet in diameter, its capacity" being 265,000 gallons. The pressiu*e is 
60 pounds. The water is good, and 130,000 gallons a day are used 
for farm and domestic purposes. There are 8 miles of mains, 800 
taps, and 57 fire hydrants, and the system supplies 2,000 people. So 
far as known the supply is satisfactory. Royal River furnishes an 
emergency supply. 

Bolsters Mills. — ^^lore than 20 families and the stores at Bolsters 
Mills are supplied by two springs situated just east of the village. 
The spriags issue from bowlder clay a few rods distant from the base 
of a high gravel moraine. The springs proper are dug holes, 3 by 3 
feet in size and 2 feet deep, wdth an outlet pipe and strainer in the 
bottom. They are owned by Mr. Alfred K. Clark. The water is 
reported to be of very good quality; and as there are no buildings 
above, there is no chance of pollution. The springs are covered with 
protecting sheds. 

There is plenty of water here for all purposes, but som_e care is nec- 
essary not to waste it in dry seasons. Water rates are $6 a year for 
either one or two faucets. About two-thirds of the houses in the 
village use the public supply. 

PREDICTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

In an investigation like that of the underground waters of Maine 
it is gratif\^ng to see that in some districts the value of drilled wells 
is appreciated. In the vicinity of Portland a number of manufactur- 
ing establishments and tenement owners are using drilled wells and 



CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 125 

thereby saving water bills. On the neighboring coasts and islands 
of the harbor there is a large summer population, and these people 
are using a great many drilled wells. Such is also the case in a few 
summer-resort districts away from the coast. In general excellent 
supplies of pure water are obtained, and very few failures have been 
encountered. The proportion of successful wells shows that there is 
plenty of water for domestic use in the rocks, although the supply is 
not always sufficient for hotels. As might be expected, there have 
been a number of failures, but the chance of success in any locality is 
far greater than the chance of failure. Drilled wells are so much 
safer and so much more satisfactory when an adequate supply is found 
that it would seem desirable to search for water in this way much 
more extensively than has been done. 

The success of well drilling in the vicinity of Portland has been so 
marked that it seems safe to recommend sinking wells on islands of 
the harbor where as 3^et they have not been drilled. For example, 
on Long Island the residents are using the common open wells, as 
of old. A number of people on' Peaks Island and some of the other 
islands use wells of the same type. These may be safe in the 
country, but are hardly safe in a summer-resort island ha\ang a large 
population. A public water system could be installed on other 
islands at a comparatively small cost, as has been done on Peaks 
Island and Great Diamond Island. The water obtained by deep 
wells mil be safe for drinking, and three or four wells will probably 
give a sufficient supply for any of the largest islands. 

It may not be amiss to emphasize in this connection a precaution 
regarding Sebago Lake w^ater, to which reference was made on pages 
109-110. This lake has for years been supplying the city of Portland 
and several adjacent towns, and the water has been found to be one 
of the best surface supplies in the State. There is more water than 
can ever be utilized, and the lake is so large that contaminated water 
now entering an}" particular part of it would be so diluted as to cause 
little danger to the inhabitants of the city. It must be remembered, 
however, that there are already a number of cottages and hotels 
along the shores of Sebago Lake and its tributaries, and that these 
are springing up more thickly every year. At least two steamboat 
lines run on the lake regularly, and it is used for fishing and bathing. 
Every precaution should therefore be taken to keep the lake in a sani- 
tary condition and to prevent the increase of cottages and hotels 
along the shores. The best plan would be for the city or the State 
to acquire and hold the lake as a public reservation in care of a park 
commission, as has been done with several large reservoirs in Massa- 
chusetts and other States. 



126 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY, 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Franklin County is situated in western Maine, its north end border- 
ing on the Canadian hue and its west end separated from New Hamp- 
shire by a distance of about 12 miles. The county has a length from 
north to south of about 85 miles and an extreme width of 30 miles. 
Its total area is 1,764 square miles, and its population, according to 
the census of 1900, was 18,444, the least next to Piscataquis County. 
This county contains no cities or large towns; Farmington, the county 
seat, has a population of 1,251. Less than two-thirds of the county 
is situated in the territorj^ covered by this report, but the region 
farther north contains few features»of importance to a report of this 
nature. The county is one of the hilliest in Maine, and contains 
numerous lakes and ponds, of which the largest situated entirely 
within the borders of the count}^ is Rangeley or Oquossoc Lake. A 
large lake, Mooselookmeguntic, lies on the boundar}^ between Frank- 
lin and Oxford counties. A stretch of Androscoggin River, less than 
5 miles in length, cuts across the southern corner of the county, and 
Rangelej^ and Mooselookmeguntic lakes lie near the headwaters of the 
same river, but with these exceptions there is no large stream within 
the borders of the county. Sandy River, a tributar}^ to the Kenne- 
bec, flows through the south-central part of the count}^, and Dead 
River, with its numerous lakes and small tributaries, is a conspicuous 
feature of the north end of the count}^, which is far famed for its fish- 
ing grounds. In altitude Franklin County ranges from 355 feet on 
Androscoggin River near Chisholms Mills to 3,388 feet at the summit 
of Mount Abraham. The central part of the county is very moun- 
tainous, and contains few villages and few lines of transportation. 
The Maine Central Railroad extends as far as Farmington, through a 
fairl}^ settled district, but the region north of Farmington is reached 
only by the Sandy River, Phillips and Rangele}^, and Franklin and 
Megantic railroads, narrow-gage lines, which extend north as far as 
Carrabasset and northwest as far as Rangeley and several summer 
camps, the latter of which are reached b}^ unimportant branches. 
Rangele}^ and Mooselookmeguntic lakes are also reached by the Port- 
land and Rumford Falls Railway, which runs northward from Rum- 
ford Falls, in Oxford County, as far as Oquossoc, on the western edge 
of Franklin County. A map of this count}^ showing the distribution 
of deep wells, important springs, and communities having public sup- 
plies forms PL XIII. This report considers only the region south of 
the forty-fifth parallel. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE XII 




Snccessful "well over 60 feet in depth 
O Unsuccessful well over 50 feet in depth 

Important spring 
^ Community having public supply from surface 
I I Community having public supply from springs 
■ Other important towns 



MAP OF SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY. 
Showing distribution of deep wells, important springs, and communities having public supplies. 



r 



SOUTHEEISr FRANKLIN COUNTY. 127 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATION TO ROCKS AND SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

Distribution of rock types. — The rock formations of Franklin County 
are not well kno^\Ti, but are supposed to consist almost entireh" of gran- 
ite and slate, with slate predominating. An area of granite enters the 
southwest corner and crosses the count}^ in a northeast direction, the 
band having a width averaging less than 10 miles. This granite is 
quarried at Jay, on the Maine Central Railroad. It does not extend 
north of Dryden. A small granite area enters New Sharon from the 
east and heads for the area in which Ja}" is situated, indicating that 
these two areas may be connected at no great depth below the 
surface. 

The known distribution of the rocks in this county can probably 
be best described by stating the areas in which they cross the several 
lines of transportation. North of the most northern outcrop at Dr}^- 
den, on the Maine Central Railroad, the formation is entireh' slate 
as far as Strong, on the Phillips and Rangele}" Railroad. In the 
vicinity of Phillips, however, there is a patch of granite several miles 
across. Be^^ond Phillips no more granite is encountered until the 
railroad turns west, just north of East Madrid, in the mountain region. 
An area of granite is crossed here for about 10 miles, be^^ond which 
the rocks are slat}^ as far as Rangele}-. Rangele}" Lake is situated 
entirely within the slate area, but from this lake southward, along the 
Portland and Rumford Falls Railwa}^, the formation is granite as far 
as Houghton, just beyond the borders of this count}^. On the Frank- 
lin and ^ '^gantic Railway the formation is supposed to be entirety 
slate from Strong — the junction of the Phillips and Rangele}" and 
Sandy River railroads — northward as far as Carrabasset. Here, how- 
ever, an area of granite is entered and continues to the end of the 
railroad at Bigelow. The village of Stratton, 7 miles northwest of 
Bigelow, is situated in the granite area. West of Stratton, however, 
the rocks are I elieved to be slaty in nature. In the extreme northern 
part of Franklin County, extending from a point near Beaverpond 
as far as the Canadian border and westward to the Oxford County 
line, is another area of granite. As a great part of Franklin Count}^ 
consists of wilderness, the detailed geology of this county is unknown. 

Surface deposits. — In Franklin Count}^ the drift deposits are gen- 
erally thick in the valleys and very thin in the hills. On Sandy River 
and some of the smaller streams there are extensive sand plains of 
unknowTi depth. In the vicinity of Farmington these are underlain 
at a few feet by clay, probably an extension of the same clay deposit 
which follows Kennebec River for so many miles. Irregular sand and 
gravel deposits are widespread over the county and are generally under- 
lain by bowlder clay, which also forms the surface over much of the 
uplands. 



128 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

WELLS. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Franklin Count}^ is so well provided with springs that wells are less 
numerous than in other parts of Maine. Dug wells are, however, 
common in the valleys, especiall}^ in the southeastern part of the 
county. The general depth of the dug wells is from 10 to 30 feet, 
though a few are more than 40 feet in depth. They are mostly sunk 
in drift, but a few wells have been blasted in rock. Most of the wells 
in this county give plentiful supplies of water, and, as the population 
is not large, few wells are contaminated. No drilled wells are known 
to have been sunk in the county. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 

Farmington. — The town of Farmington, the county seat of Frank- 
lin County, is situated on a sand plain bordering Sandy Eiver and 
high above it. It formerly had a public supply from an infiltration 
well situated 30 feet from the river. As this did not furnish sufficient 
water for the village, a portion of the supply was drawn from the 
river. Most of the inhabitants used this water until recently, and 
few people in the village have wells. The supply is now derived from 
Yarnum Pond. On the outskirts of the village are situated many 
dug wells, one of which reaches a depth of 58 feet. This well is 
reported to pass through 10 or 15 feet of sand, underlain by clay, 
which extends to the bottom of the well. It contains about 50 feet 
of water the year round. That the clay underlying the sand is very 
irregular in elevation is shown by a road section southeast of town in 
which the clay rises sharply through a height of 15 feet or so and 
reaches the general level of the plain. Between Farmington and 
Farmington Falls attempts have been made to drive wells in the clay, 
but all trials have failed, owing to clogging of the screens by fine clay 
particles. 

With the foregoing exception the wells at Farmington are mostly 
less than 25 feet in depth and few exceed 35 feet. They are dug in 
sand and gravel and generally rest on clay. The rock in the vicinity 
is a dense slate, striking northeast and southwest and having a 
vertical dip. Between Farmington and Strong the supplies are 
derived mostly from springs, as the hillsides are steep and spring 
water is generally easily obtainable. 

SPRINGS. 

General statement. — As Franklin County is very hilly, it has 
numerous springs, and it is not likely that there will ever be any 
serious lack of water except locally. Springs are used by many 
families in the country districts for domestic supply, and at least 
two villages use them for public supplies. Within the county are 



SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY. 129 

at least three so-called mineral springs, one of which ships water 
regularly by railroad, and a second has done so in the past. These 
springs are as follows: 

Carrabasset Mineral Spring, Carrabasset. 
Knowlton Soda Spring, Strong. 
Rangeley Mineral Spring, Rangeley. 

Carrabasset Mineral Spring. — Carrabasset Spring, belonging to 
the Carrabasset Mineral Spring Water Company, of Boston, is 
situated on the bank of a small stream 10 feet above water level, on 
the Franklin and Megantic Railway, a short distance south of Car- 
rabasset station. It issues near the base of a sand plain which rises 
only 10 feet higher at its central point, about 250 feet away. The 
spring was formed by digging a well 15 feet deep to a soft, shalelike 
rock. The water is reported to come from the rock. It is colorless, 
odorless, and tasteless, and has a temperature reported to be 46° in 
summer and 42° in winter. The flow is 5 gallons a minute after a 
storm and 2 J gallons a minute during a dry spell. It is said that 
after a heavy rain an hour or so elapses before the spring is affected. 
The water is used for drinking at a farm and two cottages situated 
near by and is bottled and shipped to Boston as a table and me- 
dicinal water. The price is 25 cents a gallon, or $1 for a 5-gallon 
bottle. A part of the water is carbonated. The company runs a 
bottling establishment on the spot, and the spring is well protected 
by curbing on all sides. An analysis of the water, recalculated from 
that published in the company's circular, is reported in the table 
(No. 230). 

Carrabasset Spring No. 2. — Not far from the Carrabasset Mineral 
Spring, . on the opposite side of the river, is a spring, owned by the 
same company, which issues from the side of a high eskerlike 
ridge. The analysis of this water is given in the table (No. 231). 
No water is yet shipped. 

Knowlton Soda Spring. — The mineral spring belonging to Mr. R. 
W. Knowlton is situated in South Strong, 7 miles north of Farming- 
ton. According to the owner, the spring emerges from a rocky 
hillside at the rate of 8 gallons a minute. It is reported by the 
owner to have valuable curative properties. The spring is covered 
by a three-story building, where the water is bottled. An analysis, 
recalculated from an analysis furnished by the owner, is given as 
No. 235 in the table. 

Rangeley Mineral Spring. — The Rangeley Mineral Spring is 
owned by the Rangeley Lake Hotel Company, and is situated a 
short distance from the Rangeley Lake House, on a gentle bowlder- 
clay slope at least 50 feet above the highest part of the town of 
Rangeley and 60 feet or more below the crest of the hill. The 

r»!)lM;0— IKK 22.'i— UIJ- 1> 



180 U^'DERGROU^'D WATERS OF SOUTHER^' MA1^'E. 

water seeps out of tlie hillside in a small stream. It has no color, 
odor, or taste and is very cold. As the spring house is always closed, 
the volume of flow could not be measured. The water is piped 
through a 1^-inch pipe to the Rangeley Lake House, where it is 
used for all drinking and cooking purposes. It has sometimes been 
shipped to Boston. Xo improvements have been made, with the 
exception of digging out the spring to a depth of about S feet, stoning 
it up with bowlders from the field, and building a small spring house 
over it. The water has been used since the hotel was started in 
1896. It is probable that many other springs of good quality could 
be obtamed on the same hillside. The analysis reported by the 
owners of the spring, recalculated into ions and parts per million, is 
given in the table (Xo. 234). 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

General stateTnent. — In Franklin County public water supplies are 
not common. Several towns, including Farmington, Phillips, Range- 
ley, Strong, and Kingfield, use water from surface sources. Farm- 
ington Falls has a supply from springs. 

Farmington Falls. — The water system of Farmington FaUs is a 
gravity supply from springs situated in sand and gravel hills near the 
town. These springs have been in use for about thirty years. No 
pumping is necessary, and the water is brought to town in a 1-inch 
pipe, wliich is lead except where it crosses the river, that portion being 
made of iron. The system is owned by the Farmington Falls Aque- 
duct Company, consisting of thirteen shareholders, who paid $100 
each at the time of its establishment. These persons and four other 
famihes use the water for domestic purposes, the four outside families 
pa}ang S8 a year each. The water is of excellent quahty and never 
gives out, but in dry seasons it is occasionally rather low. A field 
assay resulted as sho^\^l in analysis No. 233 of the table. 

Strong. — The Strong Water Company was installed in 1905 to 
supply the village. The wells in town had been satisfactory, but 
it was thought advisable to put in this supply for the sake of the 
additional conveniences. The water is taken from a small pond a 
few acres in extent situated on the slope of the mount am west-south- 
west of Strong. There are 75 faucets and 12 fire hydrants m the 
village, and seven-eighths of the people are said to use the public 
supply. The pond is reported to be 600 feet above the village. It 
gave at first a pressure of 200 pounds, but now it has been regulated 
to 80 pounds, which is sufficient. This water, from a high source on 
the mountain, is excellent in quality. 

Rangeley. — Rangeley has a public water supply from Cascade 
Brook, on the flanks of Saddleback ^fountain. The water is good; 
but, notwithstanding this fact, about half the inhabitants use dug 



HANCOCK COUNTY. 131 

wells 10 to 30 feet in depth. The Kangeley Lake House has a fine 
supply piped to the hotel from a spring on the hill. Other springs 
could be obtained and used if desired, but the present public supply 
seems entirely satisfactory. 

King field. — Previous to 1898 the village of Kingfield used dug 
wells 10 to 25 feet in depth, and typhoid fever was prevalent. In that 
year a public supply was installed from Tufts Pond Brook, and the 
typhoid suddenly disappeared. The water is now excellent and few 
wells are used. 

PREDICTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The water supplies of Franklin County are so uniformly excellent 
that suggestions regarding their improvement may be considered 
unnecessary. Several villages, however, of which the largest is 
Rangeley, draw water largely from dug wells situated ^vithin their 
limits. In all such villages no time should be lost in instalhng a 
system of waterworks, either from some mountain brook of which 
the water is perfectly safe from pollution, or from springs, or drilled 
wells, or other safe wells. As yet no deep wells have been drilled in 
Franklin County. The reason is obvious — they have been unneces- 
sary in most ])laces. In towns like Rangeley and Farmington, how- 
ever, Avhich have not entirely satisfactory systems of waterworks, it 
would be possible to obtain water by drilling wells through the 
gravels and imderlying clays into the bed rock, and such supplies 
would be safer for drinking than the ordinary dug wells situated within 
the town limits. 

HANCOCK COUNTY. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Hancock County hes in southeastern Maine, })ordering on Penob- 
scot, Bluehill, and Frenchman bays and including a large number of 
islands. Its western edge is formed })y Penobscot River. This 
C(mnty is about 90 miles in extreme length from north to south, about 
50 miles in greatest breadth, and has a total area of 1,390 square miles. 
According to the census of 1900 its population was 37,241. The 
largest city is Ellsworth, with 4,297 inhabitants, but Bar Harbor has 
a large summer .population and is an important place during a few 
months of the year. 

' Hancock County can be said to consist of three sections — the island 
region and the adjacent inhabited region, which together compiise 
about one-half of the area, and the wnld lands, which make up the 
other half. The wild lands are confined to tlie area lying north of the 
Maine Central and Washington County railroads, which cross the 
center of the county. The only other trans|)ortation line on land is a 
branch of the Maine Central Railroad which enters Bucks])ort, the 



132 l^'DEKGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHEKK MAINE. 

iioitliwesteiiiinost town in the county, from the north. The surface 
conhguration of Hancock County is very diverse. Much of the coast 
is low and consists of gently sloping rock ledges or of clay or bowlder- 
clay plains, but on Mount Desert Island many of the cliffs are pre- 
cipitous, and there are mountains that rise to an extreme altitude of 
about 1,500 feet. Inland from the coast, especially in the region 
situated north of the railroads, there are many mountains, some of 
which reach elevations as high as 1,200 feet. Throughout the 
count}^ are scattered numerous lakes and ponds. A map of this 
county showing distribution of deep wells, important springs, and 
communities having public supplies forms PL XIV. 

The water conditions of Hancock Count}^ vary greatly. Away 
from the coast most of the wells are dug wells, wliich give fair supplies. 
On the coast and on many of the islands, however, water is harder to 
obtain and drilled wells are the rule, especially in the summer resorts. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATION TO ROCKS AND SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

Distribution of rock types. — The prevailing rock in Hancock County 
is granite, which, however, is irregularly distributed. It forms the 
greater part of the islands, although the northwestern part of Deer 
Isle, the coasts of Mount Desert, and many smaller islands are com- 
posed of other rocks. Castine, Brooks ville, Sedgwick, and Penobscot 
are underlain in part by volcanic rocks. With the foregoing excep- 
tions the area west of Ellsworth is granite. The towns of Ellsworth, 
Hancock, Lamoine, and Trenton, and a strip extending northward 
with an average breadth of 5 to 10 miles, supposedly as far as Amherst 
and Aurora, are underlain by slate and schist. Another small patch 
of slaty rock lies in Sorrento and the southern part of Sullivan and 
Township VII, in the southeast corner of the county. North of this 
area and covering the two eastern tiers of towns in the county an area 
of granite extends to an unknown distance, probably nearly to Great 
Pond. The north end of the county, within the area under considera- 
tion, is known to consist of slate, but north of the forty-fifth parallel 
lies another area of granite. 

The structure of the granite of Hancock County is. typical of Maine 
granite in general, as described on pages 29-32. The area mapped and 
described as granite in this part of Maine includes, however, small 
areas of diorite ('^ black granite") and similar rocks. 

At Hall's quariy on Mount Desert, at Stonington, at Sullivan, and 
at Vinalhaven the granite is extensively quarried, and numerous 
exposures at these places show water seeping out of the sheet joints, 
as exyjlained on page 31 and illustrated in PI. III. At one place, 
near Stonington, a good spring issues from a vertical joint crack on 



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HAKCOCK COU^^TY. 138 

the hillside. -The direction of the joints is variable, but the majority 
of them trend between X. 75° E. and S. 50° E. Their size is small, 
but they seem to hold plenty of water in places.. 

The slate in Hancock County is extremely variable in character, 
at some places being hard and blue and at others consisting of a very 
metamorphic scliist, much contorted and containing locally a large 
amount of iron and other minerals. In places, as at Bucksport, the 
slate becomes very hard, dense, and quartzitic. 

The detailed distribution of the rocks in a small section of southern 
Hancock County has been worked out by G. O. Smith, E. S. Bastin, 
and. C. W. Brown, of the United States Geological Survey, and 
hence it is possible to describe the formations of this region some- 
what more fully than those of others. A considerable part of the 
area is granite, but the intervening regions are occupied by other 
igneous and stratified rocks distributed very irregularl}^. The dis- 
tribution of the formations that have been mapped by the geologists 
in detail is described under the various towTiships. 

Surface deposits. — The surface deposits of Hancock County are 
extremely variable in character and thickness. In Penobscot, 
Bluehill, and Frenchman bays the coast of the mainland and islands 
consists mostly of bare rock and the smaller islands are covered only 
with a thin coating of drift. In a few areas protected from wave 
action along the coast low clay plains are found, and in several 
places in Bluehill and vicinity low drumlin-like deposits of bowlder 
clay occur. On the larger islands and on the mainland away from 
the coast the drift is of considerable thickness. The bowlder clay is 
generally 5 to 50 feet or more tliick, and in the valleys it is commonly 
overlain by sands, gravels, and clays. At Orland a chff of bowlder 
clay rises 100 feet vertically above tide water of the river. In 
exceptional cases bowlder clay is underlain by sand, as in the well of 
Mr. Tom Mason, near East Orland. 

WELLS. 
GEXERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Types of wells used. — Certain parts of Hancock County are abun- 
dantly supplied with w^ater from springs, but wells are generall}" more 
abundant on the coast and on the islands. Old-fashioned dug wells 
are common, and in man}" of the country districts are preferred by 
the inhabitants on account of the large amount of water contained 
in the drift. A few driven wells have been sunk through sand and 
clay in certain localities, and some of these have discovered small 
artesian supplies. 

Drilled wells. — Along the coast and on the islands the most popular 
and best type is the drilled well. of whicli more than 170 have been 



134 UNDEROHOrND WATF.HS OF SOT^THEKN MATNR. 

sunk to depths exceeding 50 feet. Tlie prevailing size used is 6 
inches and the depth varies from 30 to 675 feet. Most of the chilled 
wells in the county have been successful in obtaining fair amounts 
of potable water. A few have been failures owing to the absence of 
sufficient water or to the penetration of salt water into the wells. 
The failures have been commonly in schist and met amorphic rocks, 
seldom in granite. Where little water is found the difficulty is 
probably due to the fact that the wxlls did not chance to strike a 
fissure containing water. Another well near by might meet with 
success. As the greatest amount of water in the rocks is held com- 
paratively near the surface, it is seldom advisable to drill below 200 
feet or so. Instead, if a well reaches that depth without obtaining 
water, a second attempt should be made 50 to 100 feet away. 

Quality of water. — The quality of water in Hancock County is 
extremely variable, owing largely to differences in the character of 
the formations. An example of the nature of waters which are 
generally obtained from deep wells in sand is shown in No. 184 of the 
table (p. 83), w^here the total solids are seen to be only 66 parts per 
million. Several dug wells in till have been tested by field assays in 
Orland, Eden, and Sorrento, and are low in mineral content. The 
amount of chlorine in some of these wells indicates possible pollution. 

The w^ells in granite, of which four laboratory analyses have been 
made, give total solids from 81 to 364 parts, the lowest amount being 
found in a well on Greenings Island near Southwest Harbor, and the 
highest in the Crabtree & Havey well at North Sullivan. The 
chlorine in these four wells varies from 17 parts in a w^ell at The 
Settlement, Stonington, to 140 parts in the Crabtree & Havey well. 
As these are deep drilled wells, not subject to pollution, the chlorine 
is probably a natural constituent of the rock. Sulphates range from 
a trace up to 25 parts per million, with one report of 104 parts. 
Carbonates run from 8 to 70 parts, and calcium, magnesium, sodium, 
and potassium are present in moderate amounts. In several analyses 
a little iron is reported, but this is not generally found in granite. 
The analyses of granite waters in Hancock County are tabulated on 
page 77, Nos. 9 to 19. 

Three complete analyses have been made of waters in slate in 
Hancock County (Nos. 55, 56, and 57). One is from a 308-foot 
well in the village of Bucksport, the second is from an open well 
a few feet distant, and the third from a well in Hancock. The first 
two of these analyses show 116 and 53 parts per million of total 
solids, respectively. An interesting feature regarding these wells is 
that while the water of the deeper one is more than twice as high in 
total soHds as that of the open well, the chlorine is the only constituent 
which is highest in the latter. This feature is strong evidence of 
pollution in the open well. Water from a slate well in the village of 



HANCOCK COUNTY. 135 

Orland contains a little iron, and much iron is known to be con- 
tained in scliists in some parts of the county. Near North Penobscot 
a well so situated is so strong in iron as to be almost useless. 

]ylany wells along the coast have been ruined by the entrance of 
salt water from the sea. This occasionally happens in granite, but 
is much more common in slate. An example in the to\\Ti of Sorrento 
is described on page 67. 

Quantity of water. — Although it is unsafe to depend on the figures 
o-iven by well drillers and owners as a guide to the amount of water 
likely to be furnished by a well, they are of some use as a general 
guide to the amount which may be expected. Wells in this county 
report all yields up to 100 gallons a minute, those commonly reported 
beino- only 3 to 5 gallons a minute, which, however, is plenty for all 
domestic purposes. A few wells gave too little w^ater to be used, 
^lost of the drilled wells liold out from 3^ear to year, when, sunk deep 
enough, but dug wells often run dr}^ In a drought several years ago 
many of them gave out. 

Uses. — The water of wells in Hancock County is used mainly for 
domestic supplies, and drilled wells are fairty common at summer 
cottages. In Castine, Southwest Harbor, Sorrento, and Stonington, 
however, they have been sunk for public supplies. At Sorrento a 
driven-well S3^stem has been abandoned for a surface supply, and the 
Stonington well was never used. At Hancock Point an abandoned 
mine shaft is used for public supply. At Brooklin a canning com- 
pany has a drilled well; at Stonington granite quarries use them. 
The wells of Hancock County are commonly operated by hand pump, 
but many are rigged wdth windmills and a few are pumped b}^ steam, 
gasoline, or hot air. 

Flowing wells. — Several flowing rock wells are known in Hancock 
County. A number at Hancock flow from a bed of gravel confined 
underneath clay, and a similar local basin is situated near the village 
of Sorrento. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

Ellswortli. — As Ellsw^orth has a satisfactory public supply from a 
pond, very few wells are now in existence in the cit}^ Tliere are no 
drilled wells. The rock formation is slate and schist, and as drilled 
wells in these rocks are generally successful elsewhere it is probable 
that here too they would meet witli success. At Ellsworth Falls 
water can be seen seeping out of joint cracks in slate, and this indi- 
cates the availability of water for wells in these rocks. 

BlueMU. — The part of the town of Bluehill lying northeast of the 
village and extending nearly as far as Nortli Bluehill, the region 
lying southwest of Bluehill Falls and extending eastward to South 
Pond, and a small section in the extreme northwest corner of the 



186 U^'DEHUKOr^U) WATEKS OF SOUTHERN MAIISIE. 

town aro underlain by granite. A strip just east of the granite area, 
in the western part of the town, consists of diorite, diabase, and 
gabbro. Long Ishmd is made up of granite as far north as Deep 
Cove; otherwise this to\\Ti, including the north end of Long Island, 
the whole of Bluehill Xeck, the vicinity of Bluehill village, and North 
Bluehill, is composed of schist. 

Several deep wells have been drilled in this town to supply summer 
cottages along the shore. Dr. A. M. Thomas has a well 140 feet in 
deptli, in gneiss. L'nfortunately the water is very turbid, owing to 
the entrance of clay through crevices in the rock. The supply is 
sufficient, as the water can not be lowered by pumping and yields 
2,500 gallons in tliree or four hours per day, but on account of its 
quality it can be used only for the stable. The well belonging to 
Mrs. Ethelbert Nevin at Bluehill Falls is reported to yield 7h gallons 
of water a minute. On account of the great amount of iron contained 
in the rocks over large areas in the to^\TL of Bluehill, it is probable 
that some wells here will fail to get water. Analyses made of 
the two above-mentioned wells did not, however, show any iron. 
The amount of carbonates was high for Hancock County, being 92 
and 110 parts per million, respectively. Wliere the rock consists of 
granite, gneiss, or hard, compact slate the w^ater will generall}^ be of 
good quality. In the vicinity of Bluehill village most of the wells 
are dug to ledge and some are blasted, getting good water. Bluehill 
^lineral Spring is situated in this town. 

Sedgwick. — The to\^Ti of Sedgwick is nearly all underlain by granite. 
In the southern part of the to\\Ti, extending from Benjamin River 
westward along the coast to the Punchbowl, is a strip of volcanic 
rocks. Between the villages of Sedgwdck and Xorth Sedgwick 
stretches another strip, which consists of schists. In the vicinity of 
Bluff Head is a small area of schist, and between Bluff Head and 
the northern corner of the town lies a small area of diorite. 

Xo drilled w^ells are known in Sedgwick. The dug wells are 8 to 20 
feet in depth, and most of them get plenty of water in drift. A few 
run dry in summer. The water is comnionly of good quality. 

BrooJclin. — The portions of Brooklin lying south of Brooklin village, 
and including the end of Flye Point and the islands of the town, are 
granite. Xorth of Brooklin village the towTi is entirely underlain by 
schist. 

Several deep wells have been drilled in the vicinity of the little 
settlement kno^\TL as Haven. These are from 50 to 112 feet in depth 
and find plenty of water that is reported to be of good quality for 
domestic purposes. One of the w^ells here, owned by Xoah V. Tib- 
bitts, is reported to supply 20 cottages. This well is 87 feet deep, 
and a number of veins of water were found. A drilled well of the 
Brooklin Packing Compan}^ supplies a sardine factory and near-by 
houses. 



HANCOCK COUNTY. 137 

Castine. — The rocks of the peninsula of Castine are entirely vol- 
canic, and consist mostly of a stratified variety known as tuff. The 
village of Castine is supplied with water chiefly from deep drilled 
wells, but in part by springs. Many people continue to use dug wells, 
which generally yield plenty of water, but which, being situated in 
the heart of the village, are clearly subject to contamination. The 
Castine Water Company has four wells, 58, 70, 80, and 110 feet deep, 
situated on one of the highest hilltops of the peninsula. On another 
hilltop a well 675 feet in depth was drilled b}^ the same company. 
This is an 8-inch well and one of the deepest in Maine. The first 
water was found at 425 feet and rose within 25 feet of the well mouth. 
The well is reported to yield about 13 gallons a minute through the 
day, but is not very satisfactory on account of its poor construction. 
Further data regarding these wells are given under ''Public supplies" 
(pp. 147-148). The fact that the last-mentioned well was sunk to a 
depth of 425 feet without striking water indicates that wells in this 
section will probably not all be successful. This statement is empha- 
sized by the result of the well drilled for the Acadian Hotel Company on 
the hillside on which Castine is built. In July, 1906, this well was 
down 227 feet and the test with the hand pump showed a yield of 
only about 1 gallon of water a minute. As the owner did not con- 
sider the yield sufficient, he was advised to discontinue this well and 
start a new one a short distance away. 

Bucks port. — At the Eastern Maine Conference Seminary, Bucks- 
port, a well was drilled to a depth of 308 feet. Water was struck at 
about 100 feet and a second seam at about 300 feet. In the spring 
of the year when it was drilled water overflowed the surface, and the 
well supplied several gallons a day of excellent water. It is pumped 
by a 3-horsepower gasoline engine. Analyses of water from this 
well and from an open well a few feet distant are given in the table 
(Nos. 55 and 56). It is interesting to note that all the constituents 
are higher in the deep- well water than in that from the shallow well, 
with the exception of chlorine, which is higher in the open well. 
This indicates the probability of contamination in the open well. 
In another part of Bucksport two wells, 30 and 80 feet deep, were 
drilled only 3 feet apart, in quartzite, and connected by blasting. 
Only one of these is pumped. The supply is not large, but is suffi- 
cient for domestic purposes. 

Orland. — In the town of Orland several drilled wells have been 
sunk, with varying results. The best well in towm was that drilled 
for Mr. Tom Mason at East Orland. This well started on a gently 
sloping hillside consisting at the surface of bowlder clay containing 
numerous large bowlders. Instead of striking rock at a few feet, as 
might have been expected, the drill went through 87 feet of sand 
and gravel and then struck an excellent supply of water directly on 



188 L'NDKlUiHOl .Nl) WAIKKS OF SOI TIIKH.N MAlXli. 

top 1)1" a 1)cmI of clay. Tlit^ walor is clear aiitl cold, and 8 gallons a 
minute can be i)iimped. The well is very low in mineral matter, as 
sho^^^l by analysis No. 184 in the ap])ended table. 

A well drilled for Mrs. A. W. Hutchins, near North Penobscot, was not 
so successful. The rock is here a hard, traplike formation containing 
a considerable quantity of iron. This well was dug 12 feet in bowlder 
clay, blasted 8 feet through ledge, and then drilled 57 feet, making a 
total of 77 feet, striking water ut 67 feet. The water tastes very 
strongly of iron. (See analysis No. 59.) It can not be used for 
washing because it stains everything with which it comes into con- 
tact, and iron is precipitated from the water when it is left standing 
for some time. 

At the village of Orland three wells have been drilled to de])ths 
varying from 40 to 70 feet. One of these was abandoned because of 
the large amount of iron contained in solution and the supposed 
connection of the well ^^dth the river. A second well gives plenty 
of water, which has a slight iron taste, but not enough to interfere 
A\dtli domestic use of the water. The quantity of iron is not more 
than half a part per million, and the other minerals are low, as shown 
by a field assay (No. 58). That the w^ater is highly prized is shown 
by the fact that eight families use it in seasons when the surrounding 
dug wells run low. The water is reported to be softer than when the 
well was first drilled, seventeen years ago. This well is situated on 
a point of rock which projects into the river and on which a number 
of cottages have been built. Across the river the formation is quite 
different, a steep bluff of bowlder clay being exposed for a height of 
about 100 feet. It is improbable that much w^ater could be obtained 
from this material. Throughout the to\\Ti of Orland dug wells are 
the prevailing type. They do not often give out, but frequently 
get very low. Where not polluted the water is of good quality. An 
example of the quahty of w^ater in till is given b}' a field assay (No. 
170). The well from which this water was taken supplies six to 
eight families during a drought. Generally, however, water is not 
so abundant in till. 

Stonington. — The wells of Deer Isle are all open wells except in 
the vicinity of Stonington, where a number of drilled wells have been 
sunk. At Stonington the sanitary conditions are very poor, only 
Rye wells having been drilled; the rest of the people use dug w^ells 
and springs, the water of which is j^olhited and dangerous. The 
town is thickly settled, is growing rapidly, and has no sewerage 
system. The formation is entirely granite, and hence the results 
obtained in drilling here have a rather important bearing on the 
occurrence of water in granite in general. 

Tw^o of the most successful wells in the region were drilled in 1906 
at Mr. J. C. Rogers's quarry at "The Settlement" to supply water 



HANCOCK COUNTY. 139 

for quarrying operations. The first well was 93 feet 8 inches in depth, 
passing through 27 distinct ^^beds" of rock. The thickest mass of 
rock uninterrupted by joints measured 14 feet, but some were only 
a few inches in thickness. The thickest bed was encountered about 
midway from top to bottom of the well. This well supplied 62 
gallons of water in seven minutes, but the supply was not considered 
sufficient and a second well was drilled 50 feet distant. It was sunk 
to a depth of 279 feet and intercepted the same water-bearing fissures 
as those found in the first well, as was proved by the fact that pump- 
ing the second well lowered the water in the first. A week's test 
was made on these wells. They are said to connect 60 feet below 
the surface, and will yield 60 gallons a minute. A field assay of the 
water of the first well and a laboratory analysis of that of the second 
are given in the table (Nos. 18 and 19). 

In the village of Stonington ^Ir. Samuel Goss has a well 67 feet in 
depth, also drilled in granite, which supplies his hotel. A field anah^sis 
of this has been made (No. 15). The Goss well supplies also fifteen 
or twenty families, and the water is used for watering lawns, etc. 
Ten years ago the Pine Lake Water Company sunk a well on the 
summit of Thurlow Hill, near the village, for the purpose of procur- 
ing a public supply for the village. The well was drilled to a depth 
of 183 feet, and is reported to have yielded 18 gallons of water a 
minute, but was plugged and has never been used. The Guyer & 
Torey well was drilled to a depth of 67 feet to supply two families, 
and a windmill and tank were installed and pipes run to the houses 
before it was discovered that the supply was too small to be used. 
The Sunset House, Acadian House, and a dozen residences are sup- 
plied by a good spring situated on a hill outside the village. The 
result of a field assay of this water is given in the table (No. 240). 

In one quarry at Stonington the approximate amount of water 
issuing from the granite can be calculated from the amount pumped 
out of the quarry. The writer was informed by the foreman that 
more than 3,000 gallons accumulate daily in the bottom of the quarry 
from the joints. Near this quarry a good spring issues from a vertical 
joint which is said to be as wide as a common pencil. The crack is 
situated on the hillside below the quarry, but as it was covered it 
could not be seen. 

One of the difficulties in quarrying granite on the smaller islands 
near Stonington is lack of water. On Moose Island there is a 
small catchment area consisting of a swamp, and water is obtained 
from a dug well near by. On Crotch Island the quarry of the R^^an- 
Parker Construction Company is 130 feet in depth, mostly below sea 
level, and is nearly dry. In a search for water another well was 
drilled to a depth of 300 feet, but without success, except that salt 
water was encountered. Tlie chlorine in this well was 70 parts per 



140 UNDKHCKOINI) WAI'KKS OK SOirilKKX MAINE. 

million and the sulphates 104 parts. (See analysis No. 17.) Tn 1007 
a second attempt was being made for water on the opposite side of the 
island. No other drilled wells have been sunk in the vicinity of 
Stonington. 

On Deer Isle there is a good chance of getting water at moderate 
depth. On the smaller islands, however, conditions are less favor- 
able and as a rule drilling will probably not pay. In the vicinity of 
Stonington there is very little drift overlying the granite, and this 
circumstance probably explains why so little water is foimd by drilling 
on the smaller islands. 

Deer Isle. — About half of Deer Isle, comprising the area lying east 
of a Ime drawTi from Smalls Cove through Deer Isle village and Torr}' 
Pond to Eggemoggin Reach, consists of granite. This area also 
includes the islands lying in that part of the town. West of the above- 
described line the major portion of the island consists of acidic vol- 
canic rocks. There are one or two small patches of schist in the 
northern part of the island and several areas of greenstone west of 
Deer Isle village. The wells on this island are dug in bowlder clay 
and the depth of the deepest is 28 feet. The amount of water is 
extremely variable. 

Little Deer Island consists of volcanic rocks and small areas of 
associated formations. The other islands of the town of Deer Isle in 
Penobscot Bay are made up almost entirely of volcanic rocks and 
greenstone. Xo drilled wells have been sunk. From the variability 
of the rocks a broad range may be expected in the character of the 
well waters. 

Swans IsJund Phntation. — Swans Island consists entirely of granite. 
No drilled wells are kno%^^i to have been sunk. 

Long Island Plantation. — There are several islands in Long Island 
Plantation, but the only one on which a well is kno^^^l to have been 
drilled is Black Island. This well was sunk to supply the granite 
quarries, but the water is also used for domestic purposes. The depth 
is 78 feet, and it is reported to be a good well. 

Eden, Mount Desert Island. — Mount Desert Island consists of three 
towns — Tremont, Mount Desert, and Eden. Bar Harbor is situated 
in Eden, Northeast Harbor is situated in the town of Mount Desert, 
and Southwest Harbor is in Tremont. The coasts of the island are 
generally high and rocky and much wave worn. The water supply of 
Bar Harbor and Hulls Cove is derived from Eagle Lake and is one of the 
best supplies in the State. At the fair grounds near Bar Harbor a well 
belonging to Gen. Edward Morrell obtained an abundant supply of 
pure water at a depth of 87^ feet, in granite. A large number of 
cattle are watered every day, but the supply never gives out. A 
field assay of this water is reported in the table (No. 9). As Bar 
Harbor has one of the best lake supplies and filter galleries in the 



HANCOCK COUNTY. 141 

State, there is little need for sinking wells in this village. A number 
of cottages at Schooner Head and. vicinity have a supply brought in 
pipe from The Bowl, high up on Newport Mountain. Near Bar 
Harbor is a mineral spring known as Red Rock Spring. 

At the village of Otter Creek, 5 miles south of Bar Harbor, two wells 
were drilled to depths of 25 and 37 feet, obtaining small amounts of 
water, in granite. If they had been sunk 50 to 100 feet deeper the 
supply might have been sufficient. The ikst of these wells was 
drilled to a depth of 25 feet, striking a vein sufficient in quantity for 
drinking but not for other purposes. . An attempt to deepen the well 
was made by an inexperienced driller, who filled it with loose stones 
and afterwards lost the drill, and the hole had to be abandoned. A well 
dug in till in the southwestern part of the town gave the field analysis 
shown in No. 169. Many fine springs occur in this town. 

Tremont, Mount Desert Island. — At Southwest Harbor two wells 
have been sunk by the Southwest Harbor Water Company. The first 
successful well was drilled in 1891 to a depth of 125 feet. The second 
well, 36 feet distant, was drilled in 1899 to a depth of 297 feet. These 
wells communicate at a depth of 90 feet. They could not be lowered 
by pumping, but enough water could not be obtained, owing to the 
insufficient capacity of the pumps in use and possibh^ also to the inad- 
equacy of the supply, and Long Pond was resorted to as a supple- 
mentary supply. A full description of the waterworks is given on 
pages 148-149. 

Many people in Southwest Harbor still use dug wells less than 30 
feet in depth. The water is of variable quality. The field assay of 
a spring which issues from the clay along the shore near the village 
is given in the table (No. 241). This water flows 3 gallons a minute 
out of gravel beneath clay, and is highly prized by the owners. 
The spring is said to be sometimes covered by water at high tide. In 
the northern part of town is a historic spring, made famous by Indian 
legends, and the water is highly prized by the residents and 
visitors. The spring has never been improved. In the villages of 
Tremont, Bass Harbor, and McKinley only dug wells are used. It is 
probable that deep wells here would be successful. 

Greenings Island, Tremont. — On Greenings Island a well was drilled 
in 1893 for Mr. J. G. Thorp to a depth of 88 feet, in granite. This well 
is located only 100 feet from high-tide mark and 20 feet above it. The 
supply is reported sufficient. The water is pumped to a 5,000-gallon 
tank for use in the house. (See analysis No. 10.) At the north end 
of the island the cottages are now supplied by pipes laid under the 
sound from Southwest Harbor. 

Quite different in results from the above is a well drilled at the oppo- 
site end of the island about 1903 for Mr. Colton. It is 110 feet d(M»]) 
and salt water was encountered at a depth of 90 foet, where the drill 



142 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

struck ledge. The water is so salty that it is not used. The drill 
stuck once or twice in crevices. The occurrence of salt water on this 
island is not confined to any particular part of the island, but is be- 
lieved to be large'ly a matter of chance. A well near this one might 
be fresh, and, conversely, a well might happen to strike salt water at 
the north end of the island. 

Town of Mount Desert. — Mr. L. E. Kimball, of Northeast Harbor, 
had a well drilled several years ago for the cottages there and the 
well was later bought by the water company. It was sunk to a 
depth of 189 feet. At 90 feet from the surface water commenced 
to enter the well. Several soft places in the ledge were encountered, 
and at one place the drill dropped as much as a foot. The water 
increased in volume with depth, and when the well was finished the 
test showed 6t) gallons a minute for twelve hours, and it could not be 
pumped dry. The water is good, but somewhat irony. The well 
was abandoned when the public supply was installed. The rugged 
character of the towm of Mount Desert makes springs very numerous. 
In the vicinity of Hall's quarry a number of good ones issue from 
the base of granite cliffs several feet in height. In that quarry consid- 
erable water can be seen issuing from sheet joints. At one time 
enough water for drinking was obtained near the bottom of the 
quarr}^. 

Cranherry Isles. — On Sutton Island a well was sunk to a depth of 
199 feet. This well ^\dll yield 20 gallons of water a minute and the 
water is of good quality. It supplies seven houses on the island. 

On Great Cranberry Island a well was drilled in 1904 b}^ Mr. Moor- 
field Storey to a depth of 201 feet, but it was abandoned, as only a 
very little water was found. In 1906 a second well was drilled, but 
the data regarding it have not been received. 

On Little Cranberry Island a well 50 feet in depth was sunk for 
Miss Frothingham. The supply is reported to be 5 gallons a minute. 

Hancock. — The village of Hancock is situated on a neck of land 
which is rather flat and low. A creek flows nearly across the neck 
and on the lowland lies an area of blue clay ('^flat's mud")? below 
which is sand and gravel. In the square at Hancock, in 1904, a 
hole was bored with a 2-inch auger, and a strainer was attached to 
the bottom of the pipe. Below the soil was found a hard blue cla}^ 
containing fossil shells; below this was a 6-inch bed of fine sand, 
underlain by coarse gravel containing excellent water, which flowed 
9 feet above the surface of the ground. The water will still some- 
times rise to a height of 5 feet, but the he'ad is somewhat less than 
this in dry weather. A dug well near by is not quite so deep, but 
overflows the surface the year round. The town well averages half 
a gallon a minute. There are a few other good flowing wells in the 
vicinity, and most of them are bored. This area is a local artesian 



HANCOCK COUNTY. 143 

basin, only a few hundred feet across, and the head of the water is 
caused b}^ the inclination of the gravel bed, which holds the water 
underneath the clay. The gravel bed reaches the surface east of the 
wells and is inclined downward toward the west. The wells drilled 
into the clay but not through it are less satisfactory. 

The deepest water supply in the towii of Hancock is the village 
supply of Hancock Point. The source is an old shaft sunk about 
1880 for a silver mine. It is 8 feet in diameter at the top and 98 feet 
in depth. The niine was unsuccessful and was abandoned, and later 
it filled with water within 4 feet of the surface. The water is said 
to be of fine quality for drinking purposes until the middle of August 
in every year, when it is reported to take on a brackish or mineral 
taste. The water is used only during the summer season. 

In the vicinity of Hancock several wells have been drilled and 
reach depths of 30 to 70 feet. An analysis of the Jeremiah Stratton 
well, 65 feet in depth, is given in the table (No. 57). A few families 
use springs. Most of the wells in the vicinity are dug. 

Many wells in North and South Hancock are reported to have run 
dry during the summer following the earthquake shock in March, 
1903, while others which were then drv became filled with orood 
water. In a few cases where wet and dry wells stood side by side 
the one containing water dried up and the other filled with water. 
Some Avells that went dry are reported never to have recovered. 
Similar instances are reported in the town of Ellsworth. It is prob- 
able that the reports regarding these phenomena are correct, but it 
may be fairly questioned whether the cause was not a dry season 
rather than the light earthquake shock. The filling up of certain 
wells may be explained by the slow natural infiltration of water 
after they have been abandoned for some time. 

The supply of the Maine Central Railroad at Mount Desert Ferry 
is from a spring 2 miles north of the village of Hancock. The Ishka 
Mineral Spring is situated in this town. 

Sullivan. — The village of Sullivan, or Sullivan Harbor, has used 
water from Loftg Pond since the spring of 1905. It is good, clear 
water, but sometimes tastes of algae. In the past most of the people 
have used Avells or springs, but they are rapidly giving them up for 
the pond water, which is supposed to be of better quality. Open 
wells here obtain water in part from drift and in part from rock, and 
the supply is of variable quality and quantity. Mr. Dwight Braman 
has a 10-inch well drilled to a depth of 89 feet in granite. The water 
rises within S feet of the surface. It is used for drinking at the 
Manor House and is reported to have been sold. On the same estate 
is an abandoned silver-mine shaft, 120 feet deep and 20 by 15 feet in 
diameter, which is now full of water. 



144 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

In the same village Capt. S. Y. Bennis once had a well drilled. 180 
feet in depth. This well was 6 inches in diameter at the top and 
5 inches at the bottom. The supply of water was small and the 
well has not been used for thirteen years. The o^\Tier reported that 
the well is drilled in slate which is very dense and contains a great 
many quartz veins. The Bennis well is situated less than 1,000 feet 
from the Braman well, and the smaller amount of water encountered 
in the former may be due in part to the fact that the slate in this 
locality, as is often the case near granite areas, is very dense, con- 
taining few joints, and holds little water, whereas the granite, in 
which the Braman well was drilled, contains a great many water- 
bearing joints. 

In the vicinity of West Sullivan several shafts of abandoned mines 
have been transformed into wells. One at West Sullivan was drilled 
40 feet and obtained good water, but on continuing it to 61^ feet 
water which is too highly charged with mineral matter to be used 
was obtained and the well was abandoned. The surface wells in 
this vicinity, however, give good supplies of soft water. The public 
supply of West Sullivan comes from a spring. 

At North Sullivan the conditions seem to be much better. The 
formation is of granite, and a number of wells 50 feet in depth 
obtained plentiful supplies of as good water as can be found in the 
State. Some of these wells have been blasted in rock; others were 
drilled. A comparison of the two types of wells here indicates that 
for shallow wells in granite the cost of both is about the same, but 
for deep wells the drilled type is cheaper. For both shallow^ and 
deep wells the drilled type is safer. 

One of the best wells is that of Mr. C. H. Abbott. This well, after 
going through 3 feet of drift, struck granite and went to a depth of 
136^ feet without obtaining water. On drilling 10 inches deeper a 
seam of water was struck and a two-hour test was made; in that 
time 2,000 two-gallon pailfuls were pumped and the water was low- 
ered only 11 inches. In the construction of the well hard galvan- 
ized-iron tubing was put down to rock, driven as hard as possible, 
and cemented to the ledge. With this construction it is impossible 
for surface water to pollute the well. The assay of this water is 
given in the table (No. 11). This granite water is a delightful-tasting, 
clear, cold water. Complete analyses of the Crabtree & Havey well 
(No. 14) and of the John M. Blaisdell well (No. 13) are given in the 
table. In the Crabtree & Havey well the amount of mineral matter 
is very high, being 364 parts per million. A view of the Crabtree & 
Havey well is given in PI. V, jB. 

Sorrento. — The summer resort of Sorrento, situated on a peninsula 
at the southwest end of the town of Sullivan, hasagravity water sup- 
ply from Long Pond, taking the water from the end of the pond oppo- 



HANCOCK COUNTY. 145 

site to that Iroin which it is taken by SuUivan. Sorrento formerly 
had 14 driven wells, installed a dozen years ago, consisting of 2-inch 
pipes sunk from 50 to 65 feet in depth in gravel deposits a mile north- 
east of Sorrento. They are reported to have been nearly all flowing 
wells. They were situated in a low, swampy area a few hundred feet 
in extent, bordered on the north and south by rock hills and on the 
east by hills of gravelly till, and a small brook drained out to sea at 
the west end. Small gravel hills surround the valley, giving a head 
to the water, which is confined in quicksand below a bed of clay. The 
wells stretched along an east-west line and were 100 feet or so apart, 
ranging as much as 50 feet on either side of the center line. 

At Sorrento two wells, 92 and 61 feet deep, were drilled in rock 
about fifteen years ago. Both gave salty water, but one of them was 
used for a short time. In the rock along the shore are a number of 
cracks as much as one-half inch in diameter which might allow pas- 
sage for water into the hill and downward into the wells. The dip is 
toward the south, and it is probable that the salt water enters the 
cracks parallel with the stratification of the rock on the north side 
of the peninsula. Drilled wells are not recommended on this smaller 
peninsula, but on the major peninsula which juts out from Sullivan 
they may meet with success. A dug well in till in the northern part 
of the major peninsula was tested by field assay (No. 171). 

Penobscot. — The rocks of the town of Penobscot are also very 
diverse in character. In the vicinity of South Penobscot, extending 
northward beyond Wight Pond and southward as far as North Brooks- 
ville, the formation is granite, as it also is north of Pierce Pond. 
Between Pierce Pond and the village of Penobscot, and along a nar- 
row strip just east of Wight Pond, is a band of diorite which encircles 
the South Penobscot granite area. East of Wight Pond, with the 
exception of the narrow strip of diorite, the rocks are schist as far as 
the Bluehill line. West of Northern Bav and south of Wallamatogus 
Mountain the rocks are volcanic. As in Deer Isle, great difference 
ma}^ be expected in the character and amount of well waters. 

Surry. — A strip of granite of variable width extends along the 
southwestern edge of Surry, but with this exception the region south- 
west of the village is made up of schist. No drilled wells are known. 
It is probable, however, that in both the granite and the schist areas 
drilling will be successful. 

SPRINGS. 

General statement. — Away from the coast Hancock County is well 
provided w4th springs, many of them supplying farmhouses, and 
some are pumped b}- windmills. At Greens Pond, in the town of 

:.! )! )( i! )— I HK 22;i— ( )1J 1 



14() U^^DERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN' MAINE. 

Dedham, a spring supplies the hatchery and nursery of the United 
States Fish Commission, and the spring water is piped through the 
buildings. Within the limits of the county there are at least four 
important mineral springs, as follows: 

Bluehill Mineral Spring, Bluehill. 
Ishka Spring, West Hancock. 
Katagudos Spring, Eastbrook. 
Mount Desert Spring, Bar Harbor. 

Bluehill Mineral SpHmj. — Two springs owned by Greely & Hagar- 
thy, of Ellsworth, are situated in a valley about 3 miles north of 
Bluehill post-office. The water is reported to issue from a ferrugi- 
nous rock with a volume of 5 gallons a minute. It is colorless and 
odorless, but contains some sediment. It is highlv charo:ed with 
iron and other minerals and has deposited iron about its mouth. 
The analyses reported by the owners and recomputed into ions and 
parts per million are given in the table (Xos. 236 and 237). The total 
amounts of solids in the two springs are reported as 79 and 49 parts 
per million. The water is used for medicinal purposes. The exist- 
ence of this spring was noticed by Jackson as early as 1838.^^ 

IsJika Spring. — The Ishka spring is situated near a hilltop 4 miles 
north of the Amlage of Hancock. The total solids are reported as 19 
parts per million (analysis Xo. 242). The spring is covered with a 
house and the water is bottled for shipment . 

Katagudos Spring. — The spring known as the Katagudos is situ- 
ated in the town of East brook, 8 miles northeast of Franklin post- 
office. The water is said to seep out of a hillside formed of surface 
deposits, with a volume estimated by the owner as about 8 gallons a 
minute. The water is said to be colorless and odorless and to have 
a pleasant taste. It is used for drinking and medicinal purposes and 
a small hotel is situated there. The owner is Mr. R. B. LowTie. The 
analysis of this water is reported in the appended table (Xo. 238), 
the composition being recalculated from the analysis reported by 
the owner. 

Mount Desert Spring. — Mount Desert Spring water comes from a 
spring owned by Messrs. J. H. Souris and C. A. Waters. The water 
is said by the owners to issue from a fissure in granite. The flow is 
reported to vary slightly, but to average 12 gallons a minute. Much 
water is sold in the vicinity and some is shipped to a distance. An 
analysis, reported b}' the owners and recalculated from the original 
into ions and parts per million, is given in the table (Xo. 239). The 
water is reported to have medicinal value. The price is 12 cents a 
gallon. 

a Jackson, Charles J., Report ou the geology M the State of Maine, 1838, 



HAKCOCK coups' TY. 147 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

General statement. — In Hancock County very few villages have pub- 
lic supplies. The following, however, use surface water: Bucksport, 
Northeast Harbor, Ellsworth, SuUivan, and Sorrento. One towTi in 
the count}", Castine, gets its water from wells and springs, and South- 
west Harbor gets it from wells and a pond. Lamoine has a supply 
from springs, and Hancock Point uses an abandoned mine shaft. A 
deep well was sunk at Stonington some years ago for a public supply, 
but it was never used. 

Castine. — The village of Castine is supphed by two private water 
systems. The larger of these is owned by Mr. A. M. Deveraux, who 
has several deep drilled wells situated on the summits of the hills 
occupA^ing the center of the peninsula. In addition to the wells a 
number of springs are used. 

The first well was put down by a driller who promised water at a 
depth of 60 feet. The well was drilled 57 feet 8 inches, and the tools 
stuck, making it necessary to abandon the hole. It was filled with 
stones to prevent any other driller from making use of it, and a sec- 
ond hole was drilled 2 feet away. This one went 62 § feet, got a good 
supply of water, and continued 3 feet deeper for a reservoir. A 
third hole, 12 J feet distant, was drilled to a depth of 70 feet. By 
pumping the two successful wells it was found that they communi- 
cated and that it was only necessary to put a pump in one of them. 
The water level stands 25 feet from the surface. Another well was 
drilled 10 feet away from No. 3, to a depth of 80 feet, water being 
found at the same depth, 62^ feet, and rising to the same level as in 
the others, 25 feet from the surface. Later, hole No. 2 was deepened 
to 110 feet. 

On another hilltop a well 675 feet in depth was drilled for the same 
water company. This is an 8-inch well and is one of the deepest in 
Maine. The first water was found at 425 feet, and filled the well 
within 27 feet of the surface. The cost was $3,500, and much 
trouble was caused by losing the drill, obtaining a crooked hole, etc., 
due to inexperienced drilling. The well is reported to }deld about 
13 gallons of water a minute through the day, but is not very satis- 
factory on account of its poor constiTiction. 

The three principal wells belonging to this system are now pumped 
by a windmill into a cement-lined tank situated on the hilltop near 
by. The maximum capacity of the three wells is reported to be 
about 27 gallons a minute. The capacitj^ of the tank is more than 
25,000 gallons, but the supply from the wells is seldom sufficient to 
fill it. The other well belonging to the system is situated about a 
mile from these and is also pumped by a windmill into a tank having 
a capacity of more than 30,000 gallons. The supply from this well 
also is insufiicient, and the tank is never full. 



148 UNDERGROl'Nl) WATEKS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

As a temporary supply, to make up the deiiciency of water in the 
wells, the owner has installed a system of springs. These are situ- 
ated on low land in the eastern part of the peninsula, in sand and 
gravel. A system of tiling several hundred feet in length was put in, 
extending 6 to 10 feet from the surface doA\iivrard into the clay on 
which the sand rests. This system catches the water held in the 
sand by the impervious clay below and is reported to give 10,000 to 
20,000 gallons of water a day. The water is pumped by steam to a 
reservoir or tank near by, and thence to a reservoir on the hill near 
the deepest well. 

Mr. Deveraux reports that 150 water takers are on his s^^stem. 
This includes two hotels, one of wliich recently put down a drilled 
well for the purpose of obtaining its o^^'Tl supply. Unfortunately tliis 
well was a failure. With the wells and springs constituting the pub- 
lic suppl}' there seems to be plenty of water to meet the demand for it. 
The spring system, however, is reported to be only temporary, and 
the owner contemplates instalKng a system of driven wells instead. 
Mr. Deveraux' s company is sometimes known as the Castine Water 
Company. 

The other company in Castine is known as the Castine Aqueduct 
Company. The water is taken from springs in gravel, and is used by 
a few persons. A number of people in the village prefer the use of 
dug wells, as of old. Many of these wells are in poor locations and 
unsafe. They should be abandoned. 

The price charged for water in Castine by the Castine Water Com- 
pany has recently been raised from $7.50 to SIO a year. On account 
of this increase many people have given up the public supply and are 
depending on the dug wells. The price charged by the Castine Aque- 
duct Company to its patrons in the lower part of the town is S6 a 
faucet. 

Southwest Harbor. — The village of Southwest Harbor has a water 
supply taken from two sources, both o^\Tied by the Southwest Har- 
bor Water Compam'. Until recently most of the water was taken 
from two drilled wells situated on the summit of the hill just Avest of 
the village. These wells and the conditions of water in them are 
described on page 141. The first well used was 136 feet deep and 
pumped 45 gallons a minute. The second, 20 or 30 feet from it, was 
sunk to a depth of 297 feet. The A\4ndmill was first situated over 
the old well, and an 8-horsepower gasoline engine was also estab- 
lished to pump both wells. As both the windmill and the engine 
were insufficient to pump the two wells to their fullest capacity, a 
secondary water supply was installed from Long Pond. Another 
well, 125 feet deep, was never used. 

The water from the wells and pond is pumped to a standpipe 225 
feet above tide, the capacity of which is 107,000 gallons, and it can 



HANCOCK COUNTY. 149 

be pumped full in seven hours of continuous pumping by means of a 
windmill. The pressure is reported to be 90 pounds on the main 
street. The length of pipe connecting the village of Southwest Har- 
bor with Long Pond is about 2^ miles. In addition to this the com- 
pany has 1 mile of pipe extending to the steamboat landing and 
probabl}^ half a mile in the village. All these pipes are underground. 
The mains extending to Long Pond are 2 inches in diameter and the 
rest are one-half inch. Surface pipes extend to the village of Manset 
and to a great many cottages in the vicinity of Southwest Harbor. 
A 1-inch pipe runs below the sound to Greenings Island. Five fire 
hydrants are reported in the village of Southwest Harbor, but there 
are none in the outlying villages. 

The majorit}^ of the people in Southwest Harbor use the water 
•supplied by the company. A few, however, use dug wells. There 
are estimated to be 150 consumers, over 50 of whom, however, are 
summer residents. The rates are $10 a faucet in private houses and 
$7 in stores. During .the winter all inhabitants except those on the 
lines which are buried use well and spring waters. The chief reason 
given for having so much pipe above ground is that ledge at many 
places lies close to the surface and to lay pipe in it would be very 
expensive. The water has been analyzed and is considered of excel- 
lent quality. The amount of sickness in town seems to have de- 
creased since the waterworks were installed. 

Lamoine. — Twenty families in the village of Lamoine are supplied 
by the Cold Spring Water Company. The water seeps out of sand 
deposits, and is pumped by windmill into a reservoir. 

PREDICTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

Most of the towns in Hancock Count}^ seem to appreciate the 
value of pure water supplies. Stonington, however, while growing 
rapidh^, has as yet no such supply. The people of this town use 
dug wells and springs almost entirely, and many of these are in 
situations where they are sure to be polluted from surface drainage. 
There are no sewers in the town, and altogether conditions are in- 
sanitary. It seems important that the dug wells and springs should 
be abandoned as rapidly as possible and a public water supply 
installed. 'This might be obtained from an}" one of several sources, 
among which are Burntland Pond and other ponds on the south 
end of the island. If none of these supplies are satisfactory it seems 
probable that a number of wells drilled in granite at a safe distance 
outside the village, away from the shore, would furnish plenty of 
water. There is always an uncertainty whether rock wells will 
obtain sufficient water for a. village, however, and a pond supply 
should be obtained if practicable. There is plenty of water in the 
granite of Deer Isle for ordinary domestic purposes, and even for 



150 rNnKHcHorND watkhs of sotthehn :\iaine. 

small nianiifacturintr and other establishments, individuals or com- 
panies that can afford to do so will be \\ase to sink wells for drinkino- 
water. 

In most of the summer-resort districts of the county, especially 
on the islands, drilled wells are rather commonly used. Althouojh 
some have been failures, there liave been, on the other hand, a sur- 
prising number of successful w^lls drilled on islands where it would 
seem that the supply of water in the rocks must be small. In most 
localities the best method of obtainino; water for cottages is by drilled 
wells. These should not go to a depth of more than 200 feet, as deeper 
drilling is generally of little avail. 

A number of wells situated near the coast, and especially on the 
small islands, have been unsuccessful, owing to the entrance of sea 
water, which has ruined the wells. In certain wells fresh water has 
first been encountered, and bv continued drilling to obtain a greater 
supply salt water has been struck; in others salt water has been 
struck ffrst, the fresh-water seams existing at greater depths. Some- 
times the water of the well is fresh, but by long-continued pumping 
becomes salt. In any of these cases, where both salt and fresh water 
veins are struck, it is possible for experienced drillers, by proper 
manipulation, as described on page 67, to close off the salt water 
and redeem the well. 

KENNEBEC COUNTY, 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Kennebec County lies in the south-central part of Maine, on both 
sides of Kennebec River and directly east of Androscoggin and Frank- 
lin counties. It has a length from northeast to southwest of 50 miles 
and a maximum breadth from east to west of 35 miles. Its area 
is 880 square miles, and its population according to the census of 
1900 was 59,117. The chief cities are Augusta — the state capital — 
with 12,379 inhabitants; Waterville, with 10,899; and Gardiner, 
wath 5,501. The county is well provided \\dth railroads, being 
crossed by a line of the Maine Central Railroad along Kennebec 
River and another line 5 to 15 miles west of the river, meeting the 
river line at Waterville. From Water^alle the railroad runs north- 
eastward to Burnham, and a branch extends north as far as Skow- 
hegan, in Somerset County. The Somerset Railroad extends from 
its terminus at Oakland northward to Moosehead Lake, in Somerset 
and Piscataquis counties. A narrow-gage railroad — the Wiscasset, 
Waterville and Farmington — runs southeastward from Winslow to 
Wiscasset, in Lincoln County, and a branch of this railroad runs 
from Weeks Mills to Albion. The surface of Kennebec County is 
rather hilly, but is not so much so as some of the other counties in 
the State. The elevation rantres from sea level alono^ Kennebec 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SUF 



I F A^V 




/ 







U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE XV 




• Successful well over 50 feet 

in depth 
-^ Flowing well 
•^ Important spring 

4- Community having public 
"T" supply from surface sources 

□ Community having public 
supply from springs 

O Community having public 
supply from wella 

■ Other important towns 



MAP OF KENNEBEC COUNTY. 
Showing distribution of deep wells, important springs, and communities having public water supplie 



KENNEBEC COUNTY. 151 

River to more than 700 feet on some of the hills. The tide on Kenne- 
bec River penetrates as far inland as Augusta. Within the counts- 
are a great many lakes, which are mostly utilized for summer resorts. 
The largest body of water in the county is Great Pond, in Rome 
and Belgrade. Throughout the county the open weU is the prevail- 
ing type, but some drilling has been done. A map of this county 
showing distribution of deep wells, important springs, and communi- 
ties having public supplies forms PL XV. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATION TO KOCKS AXD SURFA( E DEPOSITS. 

Distribution of rock types. — A large part of the county is under- 
lain by slate. There is, however, a small patch of granite, about 
5 miles in breadth, h^ng in the common corner of Manchester, Hallo- 
well, and Augusta, and most of the area south of Gardiner consists 
of a complex of slate, schist, and gneiss, which can not be separated 
on any map. 

Structural relation of the rocks.- — Throughout nearly the entire 
county the slate strikes very uniformly northeast, and the dip of 
the strata and that of the cleavage are nearly vertical. The rock 
ranges from very shaly, or even fissile, to hard and dense, and in some 
places it is schistose. 

Surface deposits. — The surface deposits of Kennebec County differ 
greatly in character and thickness. Along Kennebec River and up 
many of the side valleys there is considerable clay, which rises to 
elevations of more than 200 feet. In places this clay is underlain 
by gravels from a few inches to 50 feet or more in thickness. Else- 
where the clay is overlain by sand. On the hills the deposits are 
mostly till from 1 to 50 feet in thickness. In places, however, 
rather extensive morainal deposits are found on the hills, as in the 
vicinity of Augusta. 

WELLS. 

OEXERAI- D?:S(RIPTION. 

Types of wells used. — The most common type of well in Kennebec 
County is the old-fashioned open w(dl. These wells range in depth 
from 5 to 50 feet, and are dug in gravel or bowlder clay. They are 
generally successful, but often run dry in summer. The water is 
generally of good quality except where the wells are so situated 
as to become polluted. 

Drilled wells. — About 35 drilled wells have been sunk in the 
county, ranging in depth from 30 to 560 feet, the most common depth 
being about 100 feet. The wells are mostly 6 inches in diameter, but 
three or more S-inch wells have been sunk. In general the shallower 



152 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

of tho deep wells have been successful, but a greater number of water 
veins and .consequent larger supplies are obtained by going 100 to 200 
feet. It happens that the largest supply reported was obtained from 
a well which went down more than 300 feet. This well got 50 gallons 
a minute at that depth. It seems worth the expense to drill as deep 
as this if suflicient water is not obtained nearer the surface. The 
deeper supplies in the slate have not been prospected, for the reason 
that plenty of water is obtained at shallower depths, but it would be 
well to drill a few test wells when more water is needed. 

Quality of water. — Where unpolluted the well waters of Kennebec 
County are mostly good. The total solids as reported in four analyses 
range from 170 to 258 parts per million, but the amount of lime is 
never great enough to cause serious trouble in boilers. The only two 
complete analyses of slate waters in this county are given in the 
appended table (Nos. 62 and 67), but a number of field assays and 
other tests have been made (Nos. 60 to 70). Analyses 243 to 254 
give the composition of several commercial spring waters. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

Augusta. — The city of Augusta is supplied with plenty of water of 
good quality from Cobbosseecontee Pond, and there is little necessity 
of using well water. One well 560 feet in depth, belonging to Mr. 
G. P. Sanborn, has been used for supplying a greenhouse. The 
amount of water is not large, and the well overflowed in rainy weather, 
indicating that the water may come from a surface source. Wells 
drilled in the neighboring town of Winthrop indicate that plenty of 
water may also be expected in the slate areas of Augusta, and wells 
drilled in granite at numerous places in Hancock, Lincoln, and Wash- 
ington counties indicate that water may be expected in the granite 
areas in this city as well. 

Hallowell. — Like Augusta, Hallowell has a surface water supply and 
is little in need of drilled wells. The only well known to have 
been drilled in the village is reported to have been sunk at Johnson 
Brothers' shoe factory. A well was drilled in 1880 on the farm of 
Mr. H. G. Vaughan to a depth of 70 feet, and enough water for 
drinking and farm purposes was obtained. 

Farmingdale. — In the town of Farmingdale a number of wells have 
been drilled to depths of 50 to 110 feet. The water is generally of 
good quality, and there is plenty for ordinary domestic purposes. 
Assays have been made of two well waters in this town (Nos. 60 
and 61). 

Gardiner. — The water supply of Gardiner is taken from Cobbossee- 
contee Stream, just below the bridge at the upper end of the village of 
Gardiner. The water is reported good, but on account of the large 
number of farms situated along the banks of Cobbosseecontee Stream 



KENNEBEC COUNTY. 153 

and its tributaries and the proximity of the pumping station to the 
village the supply must be considered as of questionable safety for the 
future. 

Formerly, dug wells were abundant in the village, but they are now 
nearl}" all abandoned for the city water. Some dug wells penetrate 
the clay and get plenty of water which never gives out and which is 
cold and has an excellent taste. One 20-foot well goes through clay 
and gravel and rests on ledge. This well is in the heart of the city 
and so situated that the water probably enters the gravel bed within 
the limits of the populated district, yet nine families use the water. 
A number of similar wells were seen, some of which use chain pumps. 
On account of the extreme danger of pollution of dug wells situated 
in a thickly populated village these can not be considered safe. They 
are probably even more dangerous than the river water. The bed of 
gravel underlying the clay seems irregular in thickness, in some places 
reacliing 15 feet and in others being entirely missing. A few wells 
only have given out. The solution of the water problem at Gardiner 
seems to lie in the abandonment of the present system and the instal- 
lation of a supply from a point higher up on Cobbosseecontee Stream 
or its tributaries, where the water is safe. 

Gardiner is situated entirely in the area of the complex consisting 
of alternating slate, schist, gneiss, and granite. Little well drilling 
has been done; but in the southern part of the town there are two 
drilled wells, 34 and 36 feet in depth, which are interesting as showing 
what should and what should not be clone in the location of wells. 
Mr. Joseph Douglas has a well drilled to the depth of 36 feet entirely 
in rock. A deep-well hand pump was installed with the intention of 
using the water for drinking. The well stands only 15 feet from the 
barnyard, however, and the water is colored brown and has a bad 
odor, indicating the existence of open cracks in the rock extending 
under the barnyard, and consequent pollution of the well water. A 
dug well 15 feet in depth on the opposite side of the road and in a safe 
location is used for drinking water. 

As a contrast, an example of a well-kept well is that of ^ir. Charles 
Hopkins in the same part of the town. This well is 34 feet deep, and 
was drilled fifteen years ago, strikmg schist at 5 feet from the surface. 
The well is pumped b}^ a windmill and gives an abundant supph' of 
water. By looking down the well with a hand glass after pumping 
it as nearly dry as possible the water can be seen issuing from a 
crevice as large as a man's hand. This well has obtained more water 
than was found by farmers in the vicinity who have blasted in rock. 
The blasted wells here cost much more than Mr. Hopkins's well, and 
thus furnish an argument in favor of the drilleVl type. 

Waterville. — The city of Waterville, together with other towns of 
the Kennebec water district, obtains its supply from China Lake. 



154 LNDL-:KUH()rNI) WATKHS OF S()l TILKK^ MAIXF,. 

Formerly it was obtained from Messaloiiskee Stream, which was 
badly polluted and caused a i^^reat deal of typhoid fever. xVt present, 
however, there is little need of drilled wells in the city, as the China 
Lake water is satisfactory. It is possible that drilled wells may have 
been sunk in the town, but inquiry during the investigation disclosed 
none. If rock water supplies are desired, they can probabl}^ be 
obtained by drilling at nearly any point, as few unsuccessful wells have 
been drilled in neighboring towns. 

}Yinslow. — In 1899 the Hollingsworth & Whitney Company had a 
series of seven wells drilled 60 feet from the bank of Kennebec River 
and 20 feet above water level. The w^ells are 110 to 125 feet deep 
and extend along a line 90 feet in length. The water was used for 
cooling acid in the manufacture of paper. The wells were pumped 
by compressed air, thereby obtaining 200 to 300 per cent of the amount 
obtained by an ordinary steam pump. Now, after seven years, the 
wells are said to have filled with sand until they are only about 90 
feet in depth. Wliile they were used, pumping one of them would 
lower the rest. They are now abandoned because of insufficient 
supply for the purpose desired, and river water is used instead. A 
67-foot well belonging to the same company is still used to supply 
drinking water. 

On the terrace above these wells a number of persons have drilled 
wells to depths of 30 to 65 feet. These have met with varying degrees 
of success, some of them having plenty of water, while others give out 
in dry weather. It is probable that they would be more successful 
if drilled to 100 feet or deeper, as a greater number of water veins 
would be tapped. On the terrace between Kennebec and Sebasti- 
cook rivers there are flat areas of considerable clav which are worked 
in places for the manufacture of brick. In places the clay is overlain 
by sand, and at the village of Winslow a spring issues from the sand 
on top of the clay and is piped to four houses for domestic use. 

A rather interesting well is that of Mr. Will Glidden, which is 30 
feet in depth, drilled in slate. The water rises from the slate by 
artesian pressure into a dug well, from which it is pumped by a wind- 
mill. The pressure of water here is derived from a 15-foot rise in 
the hill 400 feet back from the well. A number of wells in Winslow 
have been blasted in rock. The water from one well on a hill is 
siphoned to a house on the hillside below. Field assays have been 
made of water from three wells in this town (Xos. 64-66). 

Chelsea. — Xo drilled wells are known in Chelsea, but some w^ells 
have been driven and some bored to depths of 20 or 30 feet. The dug 
wells are generalh?^ of similar depths and the water is almost always 
of good qualit}". It usually issues from sand. Many farms in the 
town and the Maine Insane Hospital obtain supplies from springs. 



KENNEBEC COUNTY. 155 

OaMand. — Oakland has a public supph' from Lake Messalonskee. 
Tliis lake does not seem to be entirely safe from pollution, but the 
water is considered of veiy ^ood c{ualitY. Drilled wells are unknown 
in the town. 

Pittston. — In Pittston several drilled wells have been sunk, which 
range in depth from 56 to 135 feet. The water seems to be good, and 
is used for domestic and farm purposes. The A^eld is 8 to 10 gallons 
a minute. 

Wintlirop. — Winthrop is the only town in Kennebec County where 
drilled wells have been sunk extensively, and the almost unfailing 
success here is an index of the supplies which may be expected to 
be found by drilling elsewhere in the county. Xo fewer than a dozen 
successful wells have been drilled, mostly pumping 12 to 50 gallons of 
water a minute. 

The principal wells in the ^411age of Winthrop are owned by C. M. 
Bailey Sons & Co., H. P. Hood & Son, and Charles H. Gale. The 
public supply of the village comes from a spring belonging to the Win- 
throp Aqueduct Company, from springs and drilled wells belonging to 
Charles H. Gale, and from springs belonging to Levi Jones. The 
principal water system is that of Mr. Gale, whose wells and springs 
are situated on the hill cUrectly west of the ^T^llage. The wells are 
three in number, and are 90, 96, and 65 feet deep. They give a fair 
amount of good water and can not easily be pumped drv^. Probably 
half the people of the town use tliis supply. These wells and the 
associated springs are described in detail under the heading 'Public 
supplies" (pp. 157, 158). 

The best well in Winthrop was drilled in 1906 for C. M. Bailey, 
Sons & Co. at their factors^. This was sunk to a depth of 307^ feet. 
At 300 feet from the surface a supply of fine water was struck, wliicli 
when tested ^Tielded 50 gallons a minute. The pump is generally run 
three hours a dav, but has been, run eight hours continuouslv without 
exhausting the supply. The water is used for boilers, but is also 
excellent for drinking. The analysis is given in the table (Xo. 67). 
The well of H. P. Hood & Son w^as drilled in 1903 to a depth of 172 
feet. It was cased with 8-inch casing to ledge, a distance of 18 feet, 
and 6-inch pipe was then run down to 140 feet. It is reported to 
yield 25 gallons of water a minute and can not be pumped diy. In 
these two wells the water stands about 8 feet from the surface. 

At Winthrop the rock is slate : at Baile^^^lle (Winthrop Center) it 
is schist, but the water seems to be just as abundant. The well of 
Mrs. Hannah J. Bailey, drilled 200 feet through rock, obtained 15 
gallons of fine water a minute and now supplies four families and a 
boarding house. The water is piped to the houses from a windmill. 
Messrs. C. I. Bailey and J. Briggs own a well together, and the dejnh 
and quality of the water were similar to those of ^Irs. Bailey's well. 



150 UNDflHOHOrNl) W'ATKKS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

The yield is reported as oO oallons a iniimte. All tiie wells at Bailey- 
ville have been successful, and the water is of (^ood quality and has no 
iron taste. The marked success of wells in this vicinity is a strong 
indication that similar wells can be obtained in other parts of the 
slate area of Kennebec County. 

Otliev towns. — In the towns of Litchfield, Albion, and Sidney there 
are scattering drilled wells. In the following towns no drilled wells 
ai-e known to have ever been sunk, and the supplies are obtained 
entirely, so far as known, from open w^ells: Vienna, Rome, Mount 
Vernon, Fayette, Belgrade, Readfield, Monmouth, West Gardiner, 
Manchester, Oakland, Water^dlle, Clinton, Benton, Unity Plantation, 
China, Windsor, Chelsea, and Randolph. 

SPRINGS. 

General statement. — Springs are very common on the hillsides of 
Kennebec County. They usually issue from bowlder clay or sand and 
at many places are used for domestic and farm supplies. In Augusta 
the Elaine Insane Hospital draws its supplies from a spring situated 
back in the hills. At the village of Winthrop several small aqueduct 
systems take their water from springs situated o^^. the hills west of the 
village. These are described under the heading "Public supplies" 
(pp. 157, 158) . Within the limits of the county are the Forest Springs, 
at Litchfield; Pure Water Spring, in Waterville: and Ticonic Mineral 
Spring, at Winslow. 

Forest Springs. — The Forest Springs Water Company was organ- 
ized in 1900 for the purpose of marketing the water which comes from 
the Forest Springs, in the town of Litchfield, 1^ miles northeast of 
Litchfield Plains. The springs have been renowned for their purity 
for more than a hundred years and are said to have been much fre- 
quented by the aborigines. 

There are three springs. The first is 450 feet from the second and 
about a quarter of a mile from the third. The two principal springs 
are situated at the base of a gentle sandy slope, not far from a small 
brook; the third spring is farther back in the woods. The principal 
spring is in reality a well 6 feet in depth. At this place were encoun- 
tered the following strata, from the surface downward: 

Section of drift of Foir^f Spri)i(f. 

Feet. 

Gravel loiiin 2 

Clay • 1 

FiiH' 2:ra^■('l 28 

?A 
The spring was curbed down 6 feet and has a sandy bottom. It 
is situated in the woods far from any house, and the water is of excel- 
lent quality, with no chance of polluticm. The analyses of the three 



KE^':XEBEC COUNTY. 157 

springs, reported in a circular issued by the company, are given in 
the table (Xos. 247 to 249), recalculated according to the standard 
method. The company has built an up-to-date bottling plant near 
the springs, and the water is carefully bottled and shipped in half- 
i^allon and quart bottles and 5-gallon carboys. The flow of the 
])rincipal spring is 100 gallons an hour. 

Pure Water Spring. — The Piure Water Spring is situated 1^ miles 
north of AVatersnIle. The water is carbonated and sold in Water- 
ville. The hardness is given by the o^\^lers as 41.5 parts per million. 

Ticonic Mineral Spring. — About 2 miles northeast of Waterville 
is the Ticonic Mineral Spring, the product of wliich is sold in Water- 
ville. The flow is reported as 5? gallons a minute. The analysis of 
this water is given in the table (No. 253), recalculated from the 
iigiu-es reported by the owners. 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

General statement. — Eleven villages in Kennebec County — Augusta, 
Hallowell, Farmingdale, Gardiner, Randolph, Oakland, Waterville, 
Benton, Belgrade, Xorth Vasselboro, and Winslow — have public 
su]:>plies dra\\'n from surface sources. The only important under- 
ground-water supply is that of Winthrop, which uses wells and 
springs. Hallowell, Augusta, and Vienna are reported, however, to 
have small spring supplies. 

Winthrop. — The village of 'Winthrop has no regular nmnicipal 
supply. There are, however, a number of aqueduct companies, and 
these furnish water to a majority of the population. Most of the 
water is supplied by Charles H. Gale, the Winthrop Aqueduct Com- 
pany, and Levi Jones. The largest system is that owTied by Mr. 
Gale, which consists of wells and springs situated on the hillside 
just west of the village. The wells are about 100 feet above the 
village and are sunk to depths ranging from 65 to 120 feet. The 
springs are near by, in a swampy depression in the hillsides. The 
water is collected in a reservoir. 

At first consideration the swampy soiu'ce of the springs would 
seem to be an argument against the use of this water. It can be 
said, however, that there may be no great danger of this water being 
contaminated b}^ surface drainage. One house is situated on the 
hillside above, but it is so far away as probably to have no effect on 
the water supply. From the reservoir the water is piped to the 
town in galvanized-iron pipes, which are badly rusted by the water. 
As the system is a gravity system the water has a good pressure. 
There are reported to be about 150 patrons of the system, and this 
probably represents about half the village population. The wells 
are pumped by windmills. The owner reports that when the wells 
are used there is plenty of water to supply all needs. Without the 



158 U2s'DEKGR0UND VVATEKS OF ttOUTHEK^' MAl^'K. 

wells, however, the amount is not suHicient. No analyses of the 
water have been made except a sanitary analysis made some years 
a^o. 

An interesting feature was brought out in connection with tliis 
analysis. The water was sent to a chemist by a resident of the 
town, as it was supposed to be polluted. At the same time a sample 
taken from a dug well in the village was sent — a well extensively 
used by the residents and believed to be excellent. On receipt of 
the returns it was found that the water of the dug well was badly 
polluted and that the public supply was of excellent quality. This 
is a strong argument against the use of dug wells in a thickl}^ settled 
village and in favor of the installation of deep-well supplies wherever 
practicable. There is some question in this case about the use of 
the springs. They are certainly not as good as the drilled wells, 
but they are probably safe. 

The other water systems have their source in springs situated on 
sLU-rounding hillsides, but the number of takers is smaller. The 
supply belonging to Levi Jones issues from a bowlder-cla}' hillside 
and is conveyed by gravity in galvanized-iron pipes to the village. 
About 35 families are reported to use the water, which is believed 
to be of good qualit}". 

The water rates in Winthrop are $6 a year. The fire hydrants 
are supplied from an entirely separate source, pumped by the Win- 
throp Mill Company from another well. 

Vienna. — A few persons, probabh^ fewer than a dozen, in Vienna 
village are supplied b}" water from a large spring piped through a 
main three-fourths of a mile in length. 

Hallowell. — In the toA\ai of Hallo well there is a supply o^\'ned by 
the city, reported to be derived from springs on Winthrop Hill. 
The water is obtained by direct pressure, and the pressure is 40 to 
110 pounds. About 120,000 gallons are consumed daily. 

PREDICTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

In Kennebec County few failures in well drilling have been recorded. 
The underh^ing rock of the county consists almost entirely of slate, 
and the almost uniform success of w^ells in rock of this t^^e is con- 
trasted to the frequent failures of wells in some other regions. So 
far as kno^\TLi, the public water supplies are at present all of good 
quality, although in the past there has been some trouble from 
water taken from Messalonskee Stream in the vicinity of Waterville. 
This supply is no longer used. Xo public supplies are known to be 
of poor quality. In Oakland and Gardiner, however, it would seem 
that the supplies are only temporarily safe; they are so situated 
that they may in time become polluted unless proper precautions 
are taken. Drilled wells in these towns would be a safeguard in 
case the condition of the water should cause trou])le. 



K2sOX COUNTY. 159 

KNOX COUNTY. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Knox County occupies a nearly central position on the !Maine coast. 
Its length from north to south, including the outer islands, is 35 
miles, and its breadth is about 20 miles. It has an area of 327 square 
miles, being, ^^'ith the exception of Sagadahoc, the smallest county 
in Maine. Its population, according to the census of 1900, was 30,406. 
Rockland, the chief city, contained 8,150 persons, Camden had 2,825, 
and Thomaston 2,688. The only railroads in the county are a branch 
of the Maine Central which crosses from Warren to Rockland, and the 
Georges Valley Railroad, a short line running from Warren to Union. 
The surface of the county is gently undulating in the southern part, 
but rather mountainous in the northern part. The altitude ranges 
from sea level to more than 1,450 feet, the highest elevation being in 
the to^\^l of Camden; and its surface is covered w\t\\ a considerable 
number of ponds and small lakes. A map of Knox County showing 
the distribution of deep wells, important springs, and communities 
having public supplies forms PI. XYI. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATIOX TO ROCKS AND SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

Distribution of rocJc types. — The rocks of Knox County consist 
largely of a complex of granite, diorite, slate, schist, etc. In the 
southeastern part of the county, extending from Rockport southwest- 
ward across Rockland, Thomaston, and Warren, are small bands of 
limestone rock, from a few hundred feet to about a mile in breadth, 
bordered by slates, schists, and quartzites. The limestone strata are 
much contorted, the rock is verv hard, white to blue and srav in 
color, and is extensively quarried. In the eastern part of South 
Thomaston and St. George and covering the adjacent islands is a 
small granite area. Tlie continuation of this area covers tlie greater 
part of Vinalhaven. A small area in the northern part of the same 
island and the entire island of North Haven consist of trap, slates, 
and acidic volcanic rocks. 

The detailed geology of considerable portions of the county has been 
worked out by E. S. Bastin, of the United States Geological Survey, 
and will be given later imder the names of the various to^\^ls. 

Surface deposits. — The surface deposits of Knox County are irregu- 
lar in thickness. Along the coast and in the lowlands the sands and 
clays locally run up to 100 feet in tliickness, though usually nuich 
thinner, and their up])er surfaces form flat plains near the coast and 
in the larger valley's. In the Aacniity of Tliomaston the clays are 
rather extensi^'e. In some parts of tlie county there are small mo- 
rainic deposits, wliicli are in ])laces as much as 100 feet thick, consist- 



160 UNDERGROUKD WATERS OF SOL'TilEK^^ MAINK. 

ing of sand, gravel, and till. Over the greater part of thti uplands the 
surface is bowlder clay, ranging from 1 to 10 feet in thickness. In 
l)laces this is absent and the hills consist of bare rock. Most of the 
water from dug wells in Knox County is derived from the surface 
tleposits. 

WELLS. 

GENERAL DESCRIFriON. 

Types of wells used.— The wells of Knox County are mostly dug 
wells, but on the coast and islands a considerable number of drilled 
wells have been sunk. Tlie dug wells range from 5 to 30 feet in depth 
and are mostly sunk in bowlder clay or gravel. They contain plent}^ 
of water in the wet season, but in summer they often run dry. 

Drilled wells. — Tlie drilled wells in this county are about 40 in 
number. They are from 50 to 640 feet in depth, and the yield ranges 
•up to 25 gallons a minute. Most of the wells in tlie county have been 
successful, but several have failed. At North Haven a 300-foot well 
was dry, while a 200-foot well near it contained a small quantity of 
water. In the vicinity of Rockland one well was abandoned because 
tlie water was not sufficient to supply a large hotel, and a second well 
was salty. The county contains one flowing well which supplies the 
to\\TL of Warren. The wells between 100 and 200 feet in depth obtain 
tlie largest amount of water. Of the seven wells sunk below 200 feet, 
only one got an appreciable increase in the supply. These rocks 
probably do not contain much water below that depth. 

Quality of water. — The qualit}^ of water in the wells of Knox County 
ranges from very soft to very hard, the hardness being dependent on 
the amount of lime in the rocks in which the wells are sunk. The only 
analysis of water from solid limestone is that of a sample from the 
bottom of one of the Rockland limestone quarries (No. 255). It will 
be noticed that neither the total solids nor the calcium is as high as in 
some waters from rocks that do not contain as much lime. The mag- 
nesium, however, is very high — 22 parts per million. 

The only other complete analyses of Knox County waters are those 
made from two trap wells at North Haven. The total solids in these 
wells are 90 and 2,057 parts per million. The excessive amount in 
the latter well is due to an admixture of sea water. 



DETAILED DESCRIFnOXS. 



BocMand. ^The Rockland region is occupied largely by slate' 
schist, and limestone with minor areas of quart zite. In the north- 
west corner of the town the slates are broken up and are intruded by 
granites, gneisses, and similar rocks. West of the city proper is a 
narrow belt of crystalline limestone extending in an easterly direc- 
tion from Thomaston toward Chickawaukie Pond. It is bordered 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVE 




N 

A 




Showing c 



\ 



U. S. QEOt-OOICAL (URVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE XVI 



• SucwcMfnl well onr W (eat in depth 

O UnracceMflil weD orer 90 feet In depth 

■^ Flowing well 

4= Conininnit)- Imvlnff pnbllc supply from gnrfnoc f 
niiiuiiit)- bavlDg public supply from sprlngn 
unianlty having pnbllc supply from wrlU 
lor imiKjrtiint tAWOs 




MAP OF KNOX COUNTY. 
Showing distribution of deep wells, importtnt springs, and communities ha«ingr public water supplies 



KNOX COUNTY. ^ 161 

on the southeast by a number of smaller limestone bands. This lime- 
stone is extensively quarried, some of the quarries being several hun- 
dred feet deep. Those which are abandoned are filled with water. 
Associated with this limestone are a few narrow bands of quartzite. 

Few dug wells remain in Rockland, but along the limestone region 
are a number which are dug to rock, striking it at depths of 15 to 20 
feet. The water here is uniformly hard. There is plenty of it in 
wdnter, but it gives out in summer. In dug wells in the immediate 
vicinity of the quarries the water gave out, owing to the drainage of 
the surface deposits by the quarrying operations. 

The limestone quarries in the vicinity of Rockland, Thomaston, 
and Warren are the only quarries in this kind of rock in Maine, and 
as they throw some light on the occurrence of water in limestone, they 
deserve special consideration. In Rockland several quarries extend 
to a depth of more than 300 feet below the surface. Some of them 
are now abandoned and filled with water within a few feet of the sur- 
face. Wliere they are being worked water can be seen entering from 
the joint cracks below a depth of about 80 feet from the surface. An 
example of the amount of water entering these quarries per day is fur- 
nished by a quarry 300 feet long, 70 feet wide, and 180 feet deep. In 
the bottom of this quarry is a hole 25 by 30 feet across and 4 feet deep 
which fills in about twelve hours during the night. This is at the rate 
of about 10 gallons a minute. The water is pumped out in about an 
hour and a half in the morning. It can be seen dripping into the 
quarry along the joint cracks, and in one or two places springs of con- 
siderable size are found. The most water enters along the ends of the 
quarries parallel with the stratification of the rock, but much of it 
comes in on the horizontal joints. 

A number of quarries show caves in limestone, due to the solution 
of this rock by the water. One or two caves of considerable size were 
found. (See PL VII, B.) The largest are 5 feet across and extend 
more than 5 feet inward from the side of the quarry. In one place 
where the drift has been stripped from the surface a former water 
channel about 2 feet in diameter was seen running downward into 
the rock. A few solution channels are seen followdng the horizontal 
joints, and in places these are 2 to 4 inches in diameter. The occur- 
rence of water in solution channels in limestone is a common feature 
in such rocks throughout the country, and the drillers frequently find 
that the drill drops several feet when a vein of water is struck. There 
is plenty of water in this rock at Rockland, but it is very hard. 

The city of Rockland has an excellent supply of water from Oyster 

River Pond, with Chickawaukie Pond as an auxiliary supply. Not 

more than three wells are known to have been drilled in Rockland, 

and these have been abandoned. One was drilled on Crockett Point 

599G9— iRR 223—09 11 



162 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

in 1900 to a depth of 22 feet, striking rock at 3 feet from the surface, 
but was abandoned because the water was salty. In 1906 an 8-inch 
well was drilled at Hotel Samoset, Rockland Breakwater. The sur- 
face was clay rising a few feet above tide, but rock was struck at 14 
feet and the well was sunk to a depth of 640 feet. At 185 feet 10 to 
12 gallons of water a minute was struck, but below that no water was 
found. This suppty was not sufficient for a large hotel and the well 
was plugged. However, the water would have been enough for 
several private families. No information can be obtained regarding 
the other Well at Rockland. 

Tliomaston. — Northwest of a line drawn from the western edge of 
Thomaston village to Mount Battux in Rockland the rocks of this 
town consist of slate and schist. There is also a small area of slate 
crossing the village of Thomaston. The most conspicuous rock east, 
of the slate area is a band of limestone, more than a mile in breadth, 
extending from the southern border of the town northeastward to 
Chickawaukie Pond, in Rockland. South of this limestone area are a 
number of alternating bands of quartzite, schist, and limestone which 
are too complicated for description. In a limestone quarry is a spring 
which is reported to give a good flow of water. As in Rockland, the 
dug wells overlying the limestone are from 10 to 20 feet in depth, and 
the water is very hard. Some of the wells rest on ledge. They 
sometimes run dry in summer. 

Only one drilled well has been sunk in the town — that of the 
Thomaston Brick Company. It was drilled 46 feet through marine 
clay, then in limestone for 340 feet, making a total depth of 386 feet. 
The water is hard and the supply is only about 3 to 5 gallons a minute. 

South Thomaston. — The eastern and southern parts of South 
Thomaston are composed mostly of granite and much associated 
gneiss and basic rocks. Between Weskeag River and Rockland 
Harbor is a band of slate and schist more than half a mile broad. 
West of this band the area consists of the same succession of quartzite, 
limestone, and slate which is found in the southeast corner of Thomas- 
ton. Most of the wells in this town are dug. At Crescent Beach a 
well was drilled in 1906 for Mr. F. M. Smith to supply cottages at that 
place. The depth was 75 feet, and the well furnished 5 or 6 gallons 
of water a minute, which was reported to rise ^\4tliin 2 or 3 feet of the 
surface in the wet season. The well can be pumped down 30 or 40 
feet, but can not be exhausted. Other data regarding it are given in 
the section on "Public supplies" (p. 167). 

Several wells are reported to have been drilled at Owlshead and 
Hendrickson Point, but information regarding them has not been 
received. 

St. George. — The town of St. George consists almost entirely of 
granite. There are, however, in the western half of the town con- 



KNOX COUNTY. 163 

siderabie areas of diorite. The wells of this town are for the most 
part dug wells, but on Harts Neck, south of Tenants Harbor, at least 
three drilled wells have been sunk to supply summer cottages. Those 
of Mr. WilKam S. Richardson and Mr. J. B. Aldrich are rather interest- 
ing. ^Vhile these wells are situated so near the houses that wind- 
mills could not be built over them, the windmills were built a few feet 
distant and the wells are pumped by means of a connecting rotating 
horizontal rod. The wells are drilled 67 and 54 feet deep, in a very 
hard gneissic rock. The Richardson well is reported to yield only 2 
gallons of water a minute. Another well near by was also successful. 
At Port Clyde a well is reported to have been drilled, but no informa- 
tion regarding it is at hand. 

Warren. — The town of Warren is almost entirely underlain by 
granites, gneisses, diorites, and schists, mixed in the form of a com- 
plex. There are, however, small areas of other rocks. One of these 
extends as a narrow strip from the southern border of the town in the 
Aacinity of Thomaston northward along the Thomaston and Rockland 
line beyond the head of Oyster River. Northwest of Warren village 
is a small area of limestone which is quarried. Most houses in the 
village of Warren have dug wells, but these are abandoned and the 
people use the public supply. This comes from a deep drilled well 
situated on the high hill east of the village. It is 196 feet deep and 
is reported to flow 5 feet above the surface without pumping. The 
volume is reported to be 8 gallons a minute, and in a test the well 
pumped 100 gallons a minute for five days continuously. The country 
rock is complex, and as no rock shows within half a mile it can not be 
said certainly from what material the water comes. For full informa- 
tion regarding this system of waterworks see page 166. 

Roclcport. — The entire western part of Rockport, including all the 
area lying west of the village of West Rockport, is occupied hj a com- 
plex of granite, gneiss, diorite, schist, and other rocks. The area east 
of this line is composed almost entirely of schist, with some slate. 
There are, however, a few small areas — one in the vicinity of Oakland 
Park, a second just south of Rockport \411age, a third crossing the 
village itself, and a fourth between Rockport village and Simonton 
Corners — which consist of quartzite, and smaller areas in the village 
of Rockport and north of Simonton Corners consist of limestone. 
Rockport draws its water from Oyster River Pond, and hence wells 
might be considered unnecessary in the village. As the rock is near 
the surface, however, and it is hard to pipe the streets, many dug 
wells are still used. They should be abandoned as rapidly as prac- 
ticable. Through the country the wells are mostly dug. One drilled 
well of moderate depth and fair success has been sunk for Mr. Oscar 
Gould near West Rockport. 



164 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

North Haven. — North Haven and the outlying islands included 
within the to^^^l are composed principally of basic lavas or green- 
stone. A small area in the vicinity of North Haven village, however, 
stretching eastward across Stimpson, Babbage, Calderwood, and 
Burnt islands and Indian Point, is formed of volcanic rock. On the 
main island of North Haven considerable drilling has been done, 
especially near North Haven village. Messrs. C. S. Staples and J. M. 
Howe put down two wells in 1902 to depths of 200 and 300 feet. The 
deeper well was dry and the other obtained only 1^ quarts of water 
a minute at 68 feet. Eighteen pounds of dynamite were exploded 
at that depth and the supply of water increased to 3 quarts a minute, 
but no more than this could be obtained. In 1893 ]VIr. Nelson Mullin 
had a well drilled 121 feet in trap in the same village. The water is 
caUed a httle irony, but the supply is 5 gallons a minute and is con- 
sidered satisfactory for a hotel and five cottages wliich are supplied 
from it. (See field assay, analysis No. 132.) Mr. F. S. Mead also 
driUed in trap and obtained 10 gallons a minute. The well belonging 
to Mr. F. H. Smith is 118 feet deep and supplies a store, three dwell- 
ings, a fish market, and a livery stable. 

On the point a mile east of the village Dr. C. G. Wells had three 
wells drilled in 1891, 1895, and 1903 to depths of 122, 142, and 282 
feet, getting 2, 20, and 6 gallons of water a minute, respectively. 
The water is found at various depths, is pumped by windmills and a 
hot-air engine, and is used for supplying cottages and a steam yacht. 
A short distance north of the wells belonging to Doctor Wells is one 
belonging to Mr. Wilham A. Gaston, 57 feet in depth. One well at 
North Haven was ruined by the accidental admission of calcium car- 
bide into it from an acetylene-gas generator. Analyses of two wells 
drilled in trap at North Haven are given in the table (Nos. 155 and 
156). One of these was salty. 

Vinalhaven. — The major portion of Yinalhaven is composed of 
granite. In the vicinity of Barley Hill and Coombs Hill and at sev- 
eral places near Vinalhaven village there are small areas of diorite. 
Zeke Point is made up of lava, but the northern half of Calderwood 
Neck is scliist. The part of the island northwest of Seal Cove and 
Long Cove is largely lava, but a number of patches of diorite lie along 
the coast, and there are several small areas of schist and lava. 

On the main island of Vinalhaven six or more wells have been 
drilled to depths ranging from 120 to 225 feet. Four of them are 
situated at the village of Vinalhaven, where sometimes as much as 
20 gallons of water a minute is obtained from granite. The well of 
the Bodwell Granite Company, 125 feet in depth, is pumped by a 
gasoline engine and the water is used in dressing granite. Some veins 
of salt water were encountered below a depth of 50 feet in this well. 
The well of the Vinalhaven Fish Company, 225 feet in depth, is 



KNOX COUNTY. 165 

pumped in the same way, gives 20 gallons of water a minute, and is 
used to supply a canning factory. 

At the north end of the island the rock is mostly trap. There are 
a number of wells here, and these are from 100 to 200 feet in depth, 
obtaining from 10 to 25 gallons of water a minute by windmills. 
The well of Mr. J. M. Howe here supplies four cottages, and that of 
Rev. G. A. Strong supphes three cottages. (See field assay, analysis 
No. 133.) Mr. Howe owns several wells on the island. 

The conditions observed in the granite quarries at Vinalhaven are as 
follows: No seepage of water from the joints was noticed, but they 
are somewhat stained by iron. One east- west joint, due largely to 
weathering, is 4 inches wide. Both systems of joints are well de- 
veloped in places. In some parts of the quarries they are only 1 to 
4 feet apart, but elsewhere they may be 10 or 20 feet apart. Near 
the bottom of a neighboring quarry four small seepages were seen 
from horizontal joint cracks. All the water obtained from these 
cracks is used for engines in the quarry and poHshing house. 

On Widow Island a 109-foot well drilled in granite for the Maine 
Insane Hospital yields 2 gallons of water a minute. The well is 
pumped by a gasoline engine and the water is used for domestic pur- 
poses by 70 persons. It is considered of excellent quahty. 

Camden. — About half the town of Camden, including the entire 
area lying west of a line drawn from Melvin Heights northeast to the 
Waldo County fine, is composed of a complex of granite, gneiss, dio- 
rite, and schist. The region east of this line is occupied by slate and 
schist, with the exception of an area extending from the extreme 
west end of the village of Camden northeastward to the saddle be- 
tween Mount Battle and Mount Megunticook, which is composed of 
quartzite, and of a small patch south of the village and extending 
into Rockport which is composed of limestone. There are also a 
few small patches of quartzite, hmestone, and other rocks scattered 
promiscuously through the town. 

Camden has a good surface water supply from Mirror Lake, and the 
village is not in need of wells. On its borders and in the country 
districts people still use dug wells, which give water of variable 
quality. No drilled wells are known to have been sunk. 

Other towns. — In the towns of Washington, Hope, Union, Friend- 
ship, and Cusliing no drilled wells are known. The conditions are as 
usual in the country districts and supphes can be obtained by dug 
wells, but these are of variable quality and sometimes run dry in 
the summer. 

SPRINGS. 

Kmox County is weU provided with springs. In the town of Cam- 
den Mr. Frank Alexander has a spring consisting of a well-like hole, 
2 feet in depth, dug in the bottom of the cellar, 6 feet below the sur- 



166 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

face of the ground. The material is hard ^^pin gravel." Mr. Alexan- 
der has a waste pipe 2 feet below the cellar and the spring overflows 
to a near-by valley. This spring was installed before the town had 
a public supply. It is described here as an example, for the reason 
that spring waters coming from under dwelling houses are not safe. 
Wlien springs have their origin in sands and gravels at a distance 
from houses they are generally preferable, but they can not be recom- 
mended when they are so situated as to be influenced by surface 
drainage from surrounding buildings. 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

General statement. — The towns of Rockland, Camden, Rockport, 
and Thomaston have an excellent pubHc water supply furnished by 
the Camden and Rockland Water Company and drawn from Mirror 
Lake, in the. town of Camden. Two communities in this county — 
Warren and Crescent Beach — use deep wells for their public supplies, 
and two villages — Union and Friendship — have spring supplies. 

Warren. — The village of Warren is supplied by the Warren Water 
Company, which has an artesian well situated on the hillside about 
one-half mile east of the village. The well is 196 feet in depth and is 
a drilled well 6 inches in diameter. It was sunk 54 feet in 1900 and 
to its present depth in 1903. The flow began at 165 feet and increased 
to 185 feet. The well is reported to flow 5 feet above the surface 
without pumping and to give a volume of 12 to 15 gallons a minute, 
but" is fitted with a windmill and a gasoline engine for use when neces- 
sary. When tested for five days and five nights it averaged 100 
gallons a minute. The liill on which the well is situated consists of a 
gentle bowlder-clay slope rising toward the east, and the well is about 
100 feet above the highest part of the village. The water is pumped 
to a reservoir situated some 800 feet distant. It is in the midst of 
pasture land, but is surrounded by a barbed- wire fence 10 feet from 
the nearest point of the reservoir. The pressure is 85 pounds. An 
8-inch main carries the water to 10 fire hydrants and most of the 
residences in town. 

This water company is said to have been formerly conducted by 
Mr. White, who had a shallower well on the same site as the present 
one. On account of failure the present company was formed. The 
well seems to give a plentiful supply of water, as evinced by one 
occasion when there was a fire and two lines of hose were run to the 
burning building without the water being exhausted. The rate is 
S7 a year for family use for one faucet, but an extra charge is made for 
other faucets. The water is said to be of excellent quality. The 
principal constituents shown by a field assay are given in analysis 
jNo. 134. 



LINCOLN COUNTY. 167 

Crescent Beach. — Crescent Beach, in the town of South Thomaston, 
is supphed bv a drihed well belonging to Mr. F. M. Smith. The well 
is situated on a gentle gneissic slope at some distance from the village. 
It is 75 feet deep and was guaranteed by the drillers to giye 6 gallons 
a minute. It is pumped by a windmill which has been run steadily a 
week at a time. Sometimes a gasoline engine is used. The water 
can not be pumped out, but can be lowered 30 feet. When not 
pumped it often stands only 2 feet below the surface. The water has 
been considered good by the users, but sometimes gives a bad odor. 
An examination of the well disclosed the probable cause. The casing 
is open at the surface, thus giving a chance for mice, snakes, or other 
small animals to fall in. Tliis is a good example of how a well should 
not be kept. The top of the casing should always be closed. The 
well has supplied about 25 cottages at the beach, also the stable and 
hotel buildings. 

Union. — The village of Union is supplied by the Union Water 
Company through a gravity system from springs on the hillside 
east of the village. There are two springs, reported to flow 2 gallons 
a minute each, which seep out of bowlder clay. About 80 families are 
said to use tliis water. The pressure is 50 to 80 pounds. 

Friendship. — The village of Friendsliip is supplied by a spring 
system owned by the Friendship Water Company, of Warren. The 
water boils up through sand at a reported rate of 20 gallons a minute. 
It is pumped into a tank by a windmill. It is good soft water and 
seems to be entirely satisfactory for domestic use. The system is said 
to supply 60 families. 

PREDICTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The public water supplies of the larger villages of Knox County are 
all of good quality, so far as knowTi, and there seems to be little 
necessity for their improvement. In view of the fact that most wells 
drilled within the county have been successful, it is suggested that 
drilled wells be used more extensively. They will be found especially 
satisfactory on the islands and rocky coasts of summer resorts, where 
it is difficult to get an adequate supph^ from open wells. 

LINCOLN COUNTY. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Lincoln County lies a little southwest of the center of the Maine 
coast. It is 40 miles in length from north to south and 20 miles from 
east to west. Its area is 520 square miles, and its population in 1900 
was 19,669. Wiscasset, the county seat and largest towTi, contained 
only 1,273 inhabitants. About 7 miles of the western border of the 
county fronts on Kennebec River. The county is crossed by the 



168 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Maine Central Railroad from Wiscasset to Waldoboro and by the 
Wiscasset, Waterville and Farniington Railroad, a narrow-gage line 
running north from Wiscasset to Winslow in Kennebec County. The 
surface of the county is much broken up by indentations from the sea 
projecting many miles inland, and the coast is lined by a great many 
islands. The altitude ranges from sea level up to about 500 feet on a 
few of the hills. Along the coast considerable well drilling has been 
done. The distribution of deep wells, important springs, and com- 
munities having public supplies is shown in PL XVII. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATION TO ROCKS AND SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

Distribution of rock types. — Nearh' the entire area of Lincoln 
Count}" is composed of a complex of slate, schist, gneiss, pegmatite, 
etc. The greater part of the towns of Waldoboro and Bremen is, 
however, occupied by granite. Smaller granite areas exist within the 
limits of the complex, but they are for the most part not large enough 
to be mapped. 

Character of rocks. — The rock complex of which most of Lincoln 
County is composed is similar to the areas of complex in other coun- 
ties. Where outcrops are seen they may consist of dense schist, 
striking in a northeast-southwest direction and having a nearly 
vertical dip, or of granite or gneiss or pegmatite. In most places the 
exposures consist of a mixture of these types, perhaps with grada- 
tions between them. Here and there these rocks are intruded by 
masses of trap, diorite, or other igneous rocks. There are no quarries 
in the area of complex in this county or elsewhere in the State, and 
for that reason the actual conditions in which the water is held in 
the rocks are not well known. A few railroad cuts show water seep- 
ing out of horizontal joint cracks or along the contact between 
various types of rock. In some sections along the railroad the water 
is seen in cracks which have been opened by blasting. This would 
seem to indicate the desirability of ''shooting" wells where no water 
is obtained. In general the occurrence of water in the area of com- 
plex is likely to be less abundant than in areas of granite or of slate. 
This is presumably due to the fact that the changes in character of 
the rock interfere with the circulation of water through definite joint 
cracks extending for long distances. 

Surface deposits. — The surface deposits of this county are as a 
rule not of great thickness. The coasts are rocky, and the islands 
contain only a few feet of drift. Some exposures of clay are found 
along the valleys, and these may be expected in protected areas any- 
where up to an elevation of 200 feet or so. Small areas of stratified 
sand and gravel also rise to the same altitude. Most of the unlands 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE XVII 



• Successful well over 50 feet in depth 
O Unsuccessful well over 50 feet in depth 

^ Important sprin 

+ Community having public supply 
T^ from surface sources 
■ Other important tow 




1.0 



15 MILES 



MAP OF LINCOLN COUNTY. 

Showing distribution of deep wells, important springs, and communities having 

public water supplies. 



LINCOLN COUNTY. 169 

of the county are covered by till, which varies in thickness from 1 to 
20 feet or more. The thickest deposits of drift are probably in the 
vicinity of Waldoboro, where there are large moraines. 

WELLS. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

The wells of Lincoln County consist of both dug and drilled types, 
the former being by far the most numerous, as in other regions. 
There are, however, more than 80 drilled wells within the limits of 
the county. These range in depth from 30 to 360 feet, and the usual 
size is 6 inches. The most common depth of wells in this region is 
somewhat less than 100 feet, and probably not more than 70 feet. 
There are, however, a few wells as much ^as 150 feet deep and three 
wells have been sunk more than 200 feet. In general the deeper wells 
are not so successful as those of moderate depth. The 360-foot well 
on Ocean Point is an exception to this rule, and in that well a large 
portion of the water was obtained near the bottom. 

The quality of the water from deep wells in Lincoln County should 
probably be ranked lower than that of any other county in Maine. 
The most common defect is the large proportion of iron which it 
contains. This is shown in few analyses; it is in reality but a few 
parts per million, but is sufficient to give a distinct mineral taste 
to the water and sometimes makes the water too rusty to be used 
for washing. The mineral matter ranges from 95 to 419 parts per 
million, as shown by analyses Nos. 135 to 149 and 22 to 28 in the table. 
The water is generally called hard by the residents. Analyses of three 
mineral springs are given also (Nos. 256 to 258). No flowing wells 
are known within the limits of the county. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

Wiscasset. — As Wiscasset has not yet a public water supply, a 
considerable number of drilled wells have been sunk in the village. 
More than fifteen years ago a well was drilled for Mr. W. G. Hubbard 
at the Hilton House to a depth of 70 feet. At 68 feet a fine supply 
of water was struck, which can not be exhausted when pumped at 
the rate of 35 strokes a minute, and after eight or ten hours' pumping 
the well contains just as much water. It is supposed to yield about 
15 gallons a minute. When first struck the water would fill the well 
at the rate of 15 feet in five minutes. It can be lowered 50 feet by 
pumping. A gasoline engine was installed and a well house and tank 
were built at a total cost of about $1,000. 

Another good well was drilled in 1905 at the custom-house to a 
depth of 75 feet, and water was struck at 72 feet, increasing in volume 
near the bottom of the well. It supplies the custom-house and half 
a dozen families for drinking and cooking purposes. This well was 



170 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

cased 6 feet into rock, and at the surface of the ground a cement floor 
was put in as a preventive of contamination by infiltration of surface 
drainage. The water can' be lowered, but it will return to its former 
level in ten minutes. Four hours' pumping will not exhaust it. 

In the 48-foot well of Mr. S. B. Cromwell, at Wiscasset, the drill 
dropped 3 or 4 inches when water was struck, indicating the occur- 
rence of joint cracks. Several wells between 30 and 50 feet in depth 
in this village have good supplies. Most of them can not be pumped 
dry. The water sometimes has a bad taste, which is believed to be 
due to its action on the galvanized-iron pipe, but may be due to the 
iron naturally contained in the water. 

Two wells in Wiscasset, both situated at the Turner Center Cream- 
ery, onty a block from tide water on Sheepscot River and 5 feet above 
tide, have been spoiled by the entrance of salt water. One of them, 
64 feet in depth, was drilled in 1890 for Mr. John Budd, who had a 
gristmill on the spot. After being used a couple of years the water 
became too brackish for use. A second well was drilled at the cream- 
ery to a depth of 103 feet. This is too brackish for drinking, but is 
used for cooling cream. 

A well drilled for Mr. A. R. Smith is an example of a correct method 
of construction where rock lies near the surface. In this well the 
depth to rock is 6 feet. The surface materials were dug out and the 
casing was driven 3 feet into the rock and cemented firmly to the 
ledge, thus preventing all entrance of surface drainage. 

The deepest well at Wiscasset is 154 feet deep, sunk at the county 
jail. This is another example of good construction. Rock reaches 
the surface here, and a pipe was put in and the rock coated with 
cement for several feet around the pipe. A laboratory analysis of 
the water from this well is given in the table (No. 149). Field assays 
of three other wells are also given (Nos. 146 to 148). 

In brief, well drilling in Wiscasset seems to have met with marked 
success. Most of the families in town use dug wells, which give 
plenty of water the year round and have never seriously interfered 
with the public health. Many of these wells are in poor situations, 
however, and as the use of dug wells is always dangerous in a village, 
they should be abandoned and a public water system established 
without delay. Meanwhile drilled wells are highly recommended. 

Edgecombe. — At South Newcastle, in 1901, Mrs. C. A. McMichael 
drilled a well 56 feet in depth. Water struck at that depth rose to 
within 1^ feet of the surface, but the supply was small and the well 
was abandoned. No other drilled wells are known in town. 

Newcastle. — The villages of Newcastle and Damariscotta are sup- 
plied with water by the Twin Village Water Company, obtaining its 
supply from Little Pond. The water seems to be of good quality. 
Throughout the town of Newcastle dug wells prevail, but several 



LINCOLN COUNTY. 171 

drilled wells have been sunk. The two Glidden wells, 85 and 88^ 
feet in depth, struck water near the bottom and obtain 7 gallons a 
minute. The}' are pumped by a hot-air engine for domestic use. 
At Damariscotta Mills a well was drilled 64 feet deep for ^Ir. S. W. 
Waltz, and plenty of water was found for all ordinary purposes. An 
analysis of this water is given in the appended table (No. 24). 

Damariscotta. — Damariscotta is situated just across the river from 
Newcastle, and the two villages have a joint supply from Little 
Pond. The supply seems to be good, and no wells have been drilled 
in the village. In the northeastern part of town a well was sunk 
for Mrs. S. G. Chapman to a depth of 87^ feet, and the principal water 
supply was obtained at 57 feet. The amount is said not to be large, 
but there is plenty for two houses and two barns, and it is reported 
to have increased during the course of years. A field assay is 
appended (No. 23). The water is said to become softer every year. 
The well is fitted up with a model type of windmill and tank, and 
the water runs by direct pressure to the house. 

Bristol. — The town of Bristol covers a large area, and many drilled 
wells have been sunk within its borders. At Bristol Mills most people 
use dug wells and obtain fair supplies of water. A few persons have 
springs, one of which supplies three families. Wells have been drilled 
here for Dr. J. W. P. Goudy and Mr. J. C. Hyson, 52 and 62^ feet 
deep, respectively. Doctor Goudy's well obtains a plentiful supply 
of good water (analysis No. 22). It is pumped by a force pump 
situated inside the house, although the well is 10 feet away. There 
is a tank in the top of the house, and the owner has installed all 
modern improvements. The water at Bristol Mills is reported to be 
much better in quality than that at South Bristol. 

In the northwestern part of the town Rev. H. E. Cotton has a 
well 72 feet in depth, but he obtained only about 1 gallon a minute. 

At Pemaquid a well was drilled in 1901 for ^Mr. C. A. Sprowl to a 
depth of 45 feet. The principal water was struck at 30 feet, but it 
has a poor taste. The same trouble was experienced with the well 
of Mr. M. B. Macdonald. At this place nearly every house has a 
cistern. The well water is poor and very irony. On Pemaquid 
Point Mr. W. A. Elliott had a well drilled in 1901 to a depth of 51 
feet, getting a good supply of water at that depth. The well sup- 
plies the hotel and probably 90 people during the summer. Two 
complete analyses of well waters from Pemaquid Point are given in 
the table (Nos. 145 and 145a). An analysis of water from granite at 
Pemaquid Beach is given also (No. 25). 

At New Harbor there are several wells, 30 to 140 feet deep. The 
water is highly charged with mineral matter, has a bad taste, and is 
very destructive to the well casings. Mr. E. W. Fossett drilled a 
well 33 feet deep and put in galvanized-iron pipe. The water was 



172 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

not fit to drink, and he changed to block-tin pipe. The water ate 
pinholes through this pipe, and it was necessary to resort to a wooden 
pipe. The water is still very irony, showing that the mineral taste 
did not come entirely from the casing. 

At South Bristol several wells have been drilled, the water in most 
of which is very irony. In the well at Mr. N. W. Gammage's hotel 
rather bad conditions were encountered, and they are described for 
the reason that they have an important bearing on the purity of 
water m deep wells in general. At a depth of 2 feet from the surface 
a small slanting crack was encountered, which reaches the surface 5 
feet from the well. The surface of the rock here was thoroughly 
covered by cement, but afterwards grass and worms were found in 
the well water, and an analysis by the State board of health showed 
a large amount of organic matter. It is supposed that these must 
have entered through an extension of the crack or through an inter- 
secting crack on the other side of the well. On account of the poor 
quality of the water the well was temporarily abandoned for cistern 
water. In this well a small quantity of water was found at 30 feet, 
but the largest volume was encountered at 100 feet. The well was 
drilled 3 feet deeper to furnish a reservoir. 

The largest group of wells in Bristol is found at Christmas Cove, 
on the south end of Kutherford Island. Here there are 13 drilled 
weUs, ranging from 25 to 125 feet in depth. Several of these have 
an abundant supply of water and have never been pumped dry. 
One of the largest wells in Lincoln County is that of Mr. W. E. Little. 
The others range from 1 to 3 gallons a minute. The water is mostly 
of good quality, but rather hard, and some of it is a little irony. 
Two laboratory analyses are given in the table (Nos. 135 and 136). 
The well drilled for Mr. W. E. Little at the Christmas Cove House 
was sunk to a depth of 106 feet, rock lying about 22 feet from the 
surface. The w^ater was obtained at 50 feet, but it was not sufficient 
in quantity, so the next year the hole was deepened and 2 gallons a 
minute were obtained. Most of the wells at Christmas Cove are 
ordinary open wells, some of which are blasted in rock. 

On Heron Island, just off the point of Christmas Cove, are two wells, 
one of which, belonging to Mr. William C. Damon, is 115 feet deep. 
It can be pumped dry, but furnishes plenty of water for the use of a 
single cottage. A complete analysis of water from this well is given 
in the table (No. 142). On the north end of the island a well was 
drilled for the Heron Island Company to a depth of 162^ feet, and got 
plenty of water in wet weather, but not enough in a dry spell. This 
well is used to supply the hotel near by. It stands in a small de- 
pression in the surrounding rock, and the top of the casing is open, 
with nothing to prevent the entrance of dirt, stones, or small animals. 
(See p. 66.) 



LINCOLN COUNTY. 173 

BootKbay Harbor. — The villages of Boothbay Harbor and Bayville 
are supplied by an excellent water system o^^^led by the town and 
obtained from Adams Pond. No drilled wells are kno\\Ti to have 
been sunk in the to\sTi, but if it should become necessary to use well 
water it is probable that drilled wells would be successful so far as 
the quantity of water is concerned. As indicated by the conditions 
in neighboring towns, the water would probably be found to be some- 
what irony. 

BootKbay. — Most of the wells in the to^oi of Boothbay have been 
drilled at East Boothbay. The Hodgton Brothers' well is 120 feet 
deep, but got most of the water at 47 feet from the surface. By 
looking do^TL the well with a hand mirror water can be seen issuing 
from fissures in the rock. In quality it is called very good, and 
people from a number of houses use water from it. It is also used 
to supply a blacksmith shop here. Mr. Frank Rice, near by, has a 
well 75 feet in depth, which was first drilled 34 feet in 1905, but the 
amount of water was not sufficient, and the next year it was sunk to 
75 feet, and a plentiful supply was obtained. The water has, how- 
ever, a bad ^'vitriol-like" taste. An analysis is given in the table 
(No. 141). The water is sufficient to supply a dozen families. Mr. 
Frank Weston had a well drilled 75 feet deep, which obtained water 
at a depth of 65 feet from the surface. The well can not be pumped 
dry, but the water has the same bad taste. Capt. J. L. Race drilled 
only 35 feet, and his well yields plenty of water, but has the same 
defect. Field assays of two of these wells are given in the table (Xos. 
139 and 140). 

On Ocean Point three wells have been drilled, the deepest being 
that of Mr. L. J. Crooker. This well was first drilled only 60 feet, 
but the supply gave out in a dr}^ summer; for that reason it was 
drilled the next year to 360 feet, and now there is plenty of water. 
The cylinder of this pump is down only to 120 feet, indicating that the 
head of the water sustains itself well. It is pumped by a gasoline 
engine and windmill. Most of the water is reported to come in near 
the bottom of the well. An analysis is given in the table (No. 144). 

The well of Mr. John A. Royal, situated 1 mile northeast of Ocean 
Point, is 90 or 100 feet in depth and obtains its principal water supply 
at 85 feet. It is pumped by a hot-air engine and can not be exhausted. 
The owner has installed a 600-gallon tank and has all modern mi- 
provements in his house. On Lincoln Neck, about 1 mile east of 
East Boothbay, is a well belonging to Miss F. C. Lowden. This is 
about 250 feet in depth and obtains 10 gallons of water a minute, 
supplying two cottages. Two wells near together, 154 and 157 feet 
deep, situated near East Boothbay, were formerly used for manu- 
facturing purposes, but were abandoned. The supply is variously 
reported as 3 to 27 gallons a minute, but the water was highly charged 
mth mineral. 



174 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

To summarize the conditions in the town of Boothbay, it can be 
said that the water as a rule is rather poor, having a strong mineral 
taste, which is probably for the most part iron, but which may come 
in certain wells from the zinc in the galvanized-iron casing dissolved 
by the water. In locations where the taste is not objectionable it 
w411 be advisable to sink wells, as the quantity of water is in general 
sufficient for ordinary purposes. 

South port. — The only drilled well kno^\Ti in the io^Yn of Southport 
was sunk on Squirrel Island for the hotel. It was drilled to a depth 
of 200 feet in granite, obtaining one-half gallon of water a minute 
at 40 feet from the surface. The supply was insufficient for the hotel, 
and the well has never been used. Water mains are now laid across 
the bay from Spruce Point, and the Boothbay Harbor supply is used 
for the hotel and cottages. 

Waldohoro. — Two wells in the village of Waldoboro, belonging to 
Mr. R. L. Benner and Miss E. F. Gentliner, are 56 and 88V feet deep, 
respectively, in granite. The supply is about 5 gallons a minute in 
each, obtained from a depth of 48 and 84 feet, and the water is of 
excellent quality. Miss Genthner's well had a good supply of water 
at 30 feet, and the water level rose within 7 feet of the well mouth. 
On drilling 20 feet deeper, however, another crevice was struck, and 
the water level dropped 8 feet. The marked contrast in the quality 
of water here to that at East Boothbay and Bristol shows the superi- 
ority of water in granite to that in the region of complex. A labora- 
tory analysis was made of one of these waters (No. 28) and a field 
assay of the other (No. 27). Mr. Benner has the pipe of his well 
cemented to ledge. 

In 1904 a company was chartered in Waldoboro to sink a well for 
public supply on top of the moraine-like gravel hill east of the village. 
The well reached a depth of 200 feet, of which 176 feet were in rock, 
and yielded 10 gallons of water a minute. The funds of the company 
then gave out and the well was never completed. Most of the people 
in Waldoboro use dug wells, many of which give water of poor quality. 
The to^^^l is in great need of a public supply. Wells similar to the 
one drilled by the old company might be put dowTi and a satisfactory 
supply obtained. The citizens have become discouraged in regard 
to well drilling, however, and are suspicious of putting money into 
any new scheme. It is possible that a satisfactory supply could be 
obtained from Storer Pond or some other pond at a distance from the 
village. 

Whitefield. — At Coopers Mills, in the northeast corner of Wliite- 
field, three wells have been drilled to depths of 46, 65, and 28 feet. 
In the well of Mr. S. E. Hopkins water was found near the surface 
and drilling was stopped. This well can be pumped dry in twenty 
minutes, but will fill again rapidly". The water is excellent for drink- 



LINCOLIT COUNTY. 175 

ing, but contains a little iron. A field assay is given in the table 
(No. 138). The wells of Mr. Charles H. Ashford and Mr. Newell 
Avery obtained sufficient water for domestic purposes, but the iron 
taste is noticeable; consequently Mr. Ashford uses his water only 
for drinking. A laboratory analysis was made of this water (No. 
137). 

At North' Whitefield at least three wells have been sunk, that of 
Dr. A. R. G. Smith reaching 114 feet. All the wells here are of good 
quality except for the slight taste of iron. 

Jefferson. — In the northwestern part of Jefferson Mr. Abram 
Brann had a well drilled to a depth of 91 feet, obtaining water at 
25 feet from the surface, which is excellent for drinking, but a little 
irony. At Bunker Hill a well belonging to Mr. L. R. Hodgkins was 
drilled to a depth of 119 feet. This water also contains iron. 

Other towns. — In the town of Alna at least one drilled well has been 
sunk, but no information regarding it could be obtained. In Somer- 
ville, Nobleboro, Bremen, and Dresden no drilled wells are known, 
and the conditions are such as are ordinarily found through the 
countr}^ districts. It is probable that supplies in these towns will be 
of similar quality to those found in other sections. On the island of 
Monhegan, situated several miles from the mainland, drilled wells 
are not known, but it would seem desirable to sink them, as supplies 
of fresh water could probably be obtained. 

SPRINGS. 

General statement. — Springs are fairl}^ abundant in Lincoln County 
and are used by a number of farmers for private supplies. They can 
generalh' be obtained on steep hillsides, and most of them issue from 
deposits of bowlder clay. There are no commercial mineral springs 
within the limits of the county, but reports have been received of 
two springs which are of some interest. 

Bootlihay Medicinal Spring. — At East Boothbay is a spring which 
is rather interesting, as the water is chalybeate, containing 20 parts 
per million of iron. The total solids amount to 212, and the con- 
stituents are given in the table (No. 256), recalculated from the 
owner's report of the analysis. The flow of this spring is reported 
to be 2h gallons a minute. The water is sometimes carbonated. 

Samoset Mineral Spring. — The Samoset Mineral Spring is situated 
one-half mile east of Nobleboro. The water is interesting, in view 
of the fact that it contains 425 parts per million of total solids — more 
than any other spring in Maine of which the water has been analyzed. 
(See anah'sis No. 258.) Of this, sodium constitutes 127 parts. As 
the chlorine is low, it is possible that there is considerable sodium 
carbonate in this water. This spring also contains 19 parts of iron, 
making it highly chalybeate. The flow is reported to be 2 J gallons 
a minute. The water is carbonated. 



176 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. . 

The towns of Lincoln County are so small that few have public 
supplies. The villages of Newcastle and Damariscotta have united 
to obtain a supply, brought from Little Pond by the Twin Village 
Water Company. Boothbay Harbor and Bayville have a supply 
from Adams Pond, and this is also piped under the bay to Southport 
and Squirrel Island. The town of Waldoboro once attempted to 
obtain a suppty for the village by sinking a deep well, but there was 
financial trouble and the company was dissolved. Wiscasset has no 
public supply, but is greatly in need of one. Conditions in these 
towns are described under the various town headings. 

PREDICTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The villages of Lincoln Count}^ are so small that public supplies 
are less necessary than in some other counties. However, as already 
noted, Wiscasset and Waldoboro should install water systems as 
soon as practicable. As explained above, the supplies are poorer in 
this county than in any other part of Maine. This is due principally 
to the fact that the water comes from an area of complex in which 
the rocks are very irony, and it is inevitable that some of this iron 
content should be dissolved b}^ the water. There are, however, 
witliin the complex area small patches of granite, ranging from a 
few feet up to several miles in extent. It has been found that water 
in these patches is excellent, in marked contrast to that in the areas 
of mixed rocks. Hence the principal recommendation to make for 
Lincoln County is that whenever possible a well be sunk in granite 
in preference to shale, schist, or any other metamorphic rock. The 
waters from granite have been found by analyses to be of high quality. 

SOUTHERN OXFORD COUNTY, 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Oxford County is situated in western Maine, bordering on the 
New Hampshire line; it is bounded on the north by Canada, on the 
south b}^ York Count}^, and on the east by Franklin, Androscoggin, 
and Cumberland counties. Its length from north to south is 110 
miles, and its extreme breadth is about 40 miles. The area of the 
county is 1,981 square miles, and the population according to the 
census of 1900 was 32,238. Rumford Falls is the largest town, 
containing 2,595 inhabitants. This county is ver}- hilly and in 
parts it is ver}" mountainous. The elevation of the surface ranges 
from 300 feet on Saco River and 350 feet on Androscoggin River to 
3,125 feet at the summit of Mount East Royce. Androscoggin 
River crosses the county from west to east near its center, and this 
river has its source in the same county farther north. Saco River 
crosses the southwest corner of the county. A large number of 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE XVIII 




10 



15 



20 MILES 



MAP OF SOUTHERN OXFORD COUNTY. 

Showing distribution of deep wells, important springs, and communities 
having public water supplies. 



SOUTHEKN OXFOKD COUNTY. 177 

lakes and ponds are scattered throughout the area, but the largest 
are situated near its north end. Welokennebacook and Molechunk- 
amunk lakes lie entirely within the county, and Umbagog and 
Mooselookmeguntic are largely included within its limits. 

The county is comparative]}' well served by transportation lines. 
The Grand Trunk Railway crosses it in a general northwesterly 
direction from Lewiston in Androscoggin County to Androscoggin 
River on the boundary between Oxford Count}^ and the State of 
New Hampshire. The Maine Central Railroad crosses the south- 
west corner of the county, along Saco River from Fryeburg to Hiram. 
The Portland and Rumford Falls Railway extends northward from 
Mechanic Falls in Androscoggin County to Canton on Androscoggin 
River; it follows this river northwestward to Rumford Falls, and 
then extends northward into the wilderness. A small portion of 
the north end of the county, lying entirely in the wild lands, is out- 
side the area considered in this report. 

The deep wells, important springs, and communities having public 
supplies are represented in PI. XVIII. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATION TO ROCKS AND SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

Distribution of rock types. — The rocks of Oxford County fall natu- 
rally into two groups. In the first group belong the granites and 
associated gneisses and schists of the complex; in the second group 
belong the slates. West of a line drawn from a point near North 
Fryeburg northwestward to Locke Mills, and northward beyond 
Roxbury on the Portland and Rumford Falls Railway, the area is 
mostly a mixture of slate, granite, gneiss, etc., with the exception of 
a solid granite area entering from the vicinit}^ of Rangeley Lakes 
and extending southward to the vicinity of Grafton, and one or two 
smaller granite areas. Southeast of the above-mentioned line the 
rocks are largely granite. They include, however, areas of gneisses, 
schists, and possibly other rocks which can not be differentiated on 
the map and which have not been studied in detail. 

Structure and relations of rocks. — These rocks are similar to those 
of Androscoggin County. The granite is of diverse character, rang- 
ing from a very coarse grained t^^pical granite to a fine-grained rock 
which is more in the nature of aplite. These rocks are cut by beds 
of gneiss and schist, and here and there mineral springs issue along 
the contact. Pegmatite, a very coarse grained granitic rock, which 
in places ccmtains rare minerals, is abundant in Oxford County, but 
is found only in small bodies. This is the typi3 of rock occurring 
at Mount Mica, in the town of Paris. The characteristics of the 
slate of Oxford County have not been studied. 

599G9— iRR 223— 00 12 



178 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Surface deposits. — The surface deposits of Oxford Count}^ consist 
largely of bowlder clay, wliich ranges in thickness from a few inches 
on many rugged hills to more than 50 feet in other places. There 
are large deposits of gravel in the county, but, as might be expected, 
these occur mostly along the vallej^s. Clay in this county is rare. 
In the surface materials water is generally abundant, but is likely to 
give out in the dry season. 

WELLS. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Types of wells used. — Open wells are the most abundant type in 
Oxford County. These range in depth from 5 to 50 feet and are 
generally successful. Frequentl}^, however, the supply of water is 
not sufficient in a dry season and it is necessar}' to resort to springs. 
In some parts of the county, where the surface deposits are soft 
enough, driven wells have been sunk a few feet, and many of these 
are successful. 

Drilled wells. — Drilled wells are not abundant, and so far as known 
only about a dozen have been sunk within the limits of the county. 
Most of them are in Norway, Rumford Falls, and South Paris, but 
there are several in other towns. The most common size is 6 inches, 
but one 8-inch and one 12-inch well were reported. The depth 
ranges from 50 to 125 feet. Generally these wells have been suc- 
cessful in obtaining plenty of water for ordinary domestic use. Three 
of them, however — one in Rumford Falls, a second in South Paris, 
and a third in Sweden — are not used on account of insufficient supply. 
One of these three was the deepest well in the county. The wells 
are used mostly for domestic purposes, but at South Paris one well 
has been sunk to supply a factory with drinking water. The sup- 
plies are obtained mostly by hand pumps or ^^dndmills. 

Quality of water. — One well was abandoned on account of a strong 
taste in the water, presumably coming from the galvanized-iron 
pipe used for casing. Otherwise the quality of water from the wells 
of Oxford County is as good as the average. Few analyses of Oxford 
County well water have been made. The most important, which were 
of water from driven wells at Rumford Falls, vnW be found in the 
table (Nos. 187 to 189) and are discussed on pages 183-185. Waters 
from several of the springs of Oxford County have been anal3"zed and 
the compositions are given in the table (Nos. 259 to 265). 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

Rumford. — The village of Rumford Falls has a fair water supply 
from driven wells situated on the flood plain of Androscoggin River 
at the upper end of the village. (See pp. 184-185 and analyses 187 
to 189.) With this exception few wells are in use in the village, and 



SOUTHERN OXFORD COUNTY. 179 

only three drilled wells were found. The wells of the public water- 
works are from 20 to 35 feet in depth and are mostly in sand. The 
system is described in detail under the heading ^^ Public supplies." 

Dr. C. M. Bisbie once sunk a well in the upper part of the village 
to a depth of 73 feet. A little water was foiuid at 25 feet from the 
surface, just below the top of the bed rock. The amount was con- 
sidered insufficient and the well was abandoned. Other wells have 
been drilled^ but no information regarding them could be obtained. 
At one time a well was started at a livery stable, but when the 
hole was do^vn 6 feet the driller was required to give an expensive bond 
before proceeding, and this resulted in the abandonment of the work. 
Such requirements discourage well drilling, and it should be remem- 
bered that deep wells are a decided advantage to any community. 
It is probable that small amounts of water can be obtained by drilled 
wells in the rocks at Rumford Falls and vicinity. The upper part of 
the village of Rumford Falls, known as Virginia, is supplied b}^ springs 
issuing from drift and piped to the houses. Mexico, across the river, 
is supplied by several aqueducts from springs on the hills, which 
supply 10 to 20 houses each. 

A field assay of the water from a spring near the cataract is given 
in the table (No. 263). A few miles from Rumford Falls, in Milton 
Plantation, is the Mount Zircon IViineral Spring, described on page 182 
(analysis No. 260). 

Paris. — Paris Hill, the county seat of Oxford County, is supplied 
by springs, and wells are not much used. These springs are de- 
scribed on page 185 and the analyses are given in the table (No. 
261). At South Paris several driven wells have been sunk. The 
best of these is probably the one drilled in 1906 for the Mason Manu- 
facturing Company. It was sunk to a depth of 117 feet, 40 feet of 
which was drilled in sand and the rest in granite. The test showed 
250 gallons of water an hour, and the quality was good. A well 
sunk for Mr. John H. Howl and went to a depth of 122 feet in granite, 
but obtained little water. The well was ^^shot" with 90 pounds of 
dynamite without success. On the sand plain in the village of 
South Paris a number of driven wells have been sunk to depths 
of 10 to 30 feet. Some of these reach ledge. The wells got plenty of 
water and can not be exhausted. The public supply of South Paris 
is taken from Norway Lake and is used by a large number of people. 

Buckjield. — The village of Buckfield has recently installed a good 
water supply, which is piped from South Paris. Formerly dug 
wells were extensively used in the village, but these are being 
abandoned, as the water is not as satisfactory for domestic purposes 
as the town water. Within a few miles of Buckfield, near the edge 
of the adjacent towns of Hartford and Sumner, are the Mount Hart- 
ford Mineral Spring and the Mount Oxford Spring, described 



180 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

below and analyzed as reported in the table (Nos. 259, 259a, 
and 264). 

Norway. — The water supply of the village of Norway, like that of 
Paris, is d^a^vn from Norway Lake, and most of the people use it. A 
few persons use driven wells, and as the village is situated on the 
fiat sand deposit only a few feet above the lake and river plenty of 
water can generally be obtained in this manner. Driven wells are 
better than dug wells and are advised outside the village. The 
desirability of their use in the village, however, is questionable, as, 
so far as known, the lake supply is satisfactory. 

Sweden. — In the northern part of Sweden a well was once sunk to 
a depth of 189 feet on the farm of Mr. Walter Evans. It is reported 
to be drilled in ''trap," and yielded 8 gallons of water a minute. 
As the farm is now abandoned, the well is not used, and no other 
information regarding it could be obtained. With this exception 
the wells are mostly less than 30 feet in depth and are ordinary 
open wells. The supplies are small, but there is enough water for 
farms, except in very dry weather. 

Fryeburg. — In 1890 a well was sunk for ^Ir.. L. W. Atkinson at 
North Fryebm'g to a depth of 115 feet. There are some driven 
wells here, but most wells in the town are dug. Some families use 
cisterns to catch rain water. 

Other towns. — With the exception of the towns described above, 
no localities in Oxford County are known to use wells of other than 
the ordinary open and driven types, which are mostly less than 40 
feet in depth. These wells differ somewhat with the kind of ma- 
terial, but as a rule plenty of water can be obtained in wet weather, 
and smaller supplies, or none at all, in a dry spell. 

SPRINGS. 

General statement. — The springs of Oxford County are very nu- 
merous, occurring on steep hillsides, along the valleys, and even on 
gentle slopes. A great many of them are utilized by farmers for 
drinking. The water from others is bottled and sold in Boston and 
New York. The commercial mineral springs of the county are as 
follows : 

Mount Hartford Mineral Spring, Hartford. 
Mount Oxford Mineral Spring, Sumner. 
Mount Zircon Spring, Milton Plantation. 

Mount Hartford Mineral Spring. — The Mount Hartford ^lineral 
Spring is situated in the southern part of the town of Hartford, 
about 4 miles northeast of Buckfield village, high up on the slopes 
of a granite hill. The spring is owned by the Mount Hartford 
^lineral Water Company, but is now leased for ninety-nine years 
to the Consolidated General Mineral Spring Company, of Philadel- 



SOUTHEKN OXFORD COUNTY. 181 

phia. The water seeps out of a bowlder-clay hillside and is caught 
in a granite-walled tank and piped to a bottling house lower on the 
hillside. The water is shipped to Philadelphia and sold as the 
''Mount Hartford natural mineral water." It is colorless and odor- 
less and is said to flow more than 40 gallons a minute. A large 
proportion of it is carbonated and made into ginger ale. 

The water is low in mineral matter, as shown by the analyses 
(Nos. 259 and 259a). Analysis 259 is recomputed from the analysis 
given in the circular issued by the company. Analysis 259a is part 
of the follomng complete analysis, which was made by W. W. 
Skinner, of the Bureau of Chemistry, United States Department of 
Agriculture, in connection mth cooperative work on mineral waters 
conducted by the Geological Survey and the Bureau of Chemistry. 

Analysis of water from Mount Hartford Mineral Spring. 

[W. W. Skinner, analyst.] 

Gases (cubic centimeters per 1,000 grams at 0° C. and 760 mm. 
pressure) : 

Carbon dioxide (CO2), free 

Carbon dioxide (CO2), set free from bicarbonates on evap- 
orating to dryness 3. 80 

/ Parts 

per mil- 
lion by 
weight. 

Phosphoric acid radicle (PO4) None. 

Metaboric acid radicle (BO2) None. 

Arsenic acid radicle (ASO4) None. 

Silica (SiOs) - 9. 00 

Sulphuric acid radicle (SO4) 1. 62 

Bicarbonic acid radicle (HCO3) 20. 47 

Nitric acid radicle (NO3) 88 

Nitrous acid radicle (NOo) None. 

Chlorine (CI) " 4. 00 

Bromine (Br.) None. 

Iodine (I) None. 

Iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) Trace. 

Manganese (Mn) None. 

Calcium (Ca) 4. 43 

Magnesium (Mg) 1. 03 

Potassium (K) 76 

Sodium (Na) 3. 95 

Lithium (Li) None. 

Ammonium (NH4) Trace. 

Oxygen to form Fe203 and AI2O3 

46. 14 

Free ammonia Traces. 

Albuminoid ammonia Traces. 

Nitrogen as nitrates 200 

Nitrogen as nitrites None. 

Oxygen consumed 8. 00 



182 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Mount Oxford Mineral Spring. — Mount Oxford Mineral Spring 
is situated in the town of Sumner, about midway between the villages 
of East Sumner and Buckfield, on the line of the Portland and Rum- 
ford Falls Railwa}'. It is owned by the United ^lineral Springs 
Company, of New York. The water issues from a steep bowlder- 
clay hillside, far from all sources of pollution. The hillside above 
is wooded. There is no color or odor, and only a slight taste. The 
flow is estimated as 8 gallons a minute. From the granite tank 
in which it is caught, and which is covered with a glass case, it is 
piped down the hillside to a bottling house on the railroad at Saunders 
Crossing, whence it is shipped. The storage tank is 40 feet below 
the spring and holds 4,000 gallons. Most of the water thus far (1906) 
is shipped to Providence, R. I., but some of it is sent to Phila- 
delphia. The pipe used in carrying the water from the spring to the 
bottling house, a distance of 80 rods, is of wTought iron, this kind 
of pipe having been recommended by the State chemist of Massa- 
chusetts as the best for this water. The water has been analyzed 
and is low in mineral matter. The composition recomputed from 
that reported in the circular issued by the company is given in the 
table (No. 264). 

Mount Zircon Spring. — The Mount Zircon Spring is o\\Tied by the 
Mount Zircon Spring Company, of Boston. It is situated in the 
eastern part of Milton Plantation, high up on the western slope of 
Mount Zircon. It seeps out of bowlder clay on a gentle, wooded 
hillside, somewhat higher than the only house in the vicinity. The 
water has no color, odor, or taste, and is reported to flow 14 gallons 
a minute. It is bottled on the spot and shipped to the city. A 
5-gallon carboy of it retails in Boston for $1.50. This is a ver}^ old 
spring, and is said to have been a popular resort long before the 
Poland Spring was known. There was formerly a large hotel here, 
which was well patronized until it was burned. The spring is inclosed 
in a small house, in which is a glass-covered porcelain-lined tank with 
a sand bottom, out of which the water bubbles. This water contains 
33 parts per million of mineral matter, as shown in the analysis 
(No. 260), which was recalculated from the analysis reported in 
the circular issued by the company. 

Cataract Spring. — On the west side of the cataract at Rumford 
Falls is an excellent spring, issuing from a flat crevice one-fourth 
inch in size in a pegmatite ledge, about 2 feet below the surface. 
The spring is situated just below the highway, above which the hill 
rises very steeply. The country rock is a complex. This spring 
is owned by the Rumford Falls Power Company, which does not use 
it, but many of the inhabitants haul the water for drinking, preferring 
it to the city water. The flow is about 3 gallons a minute. The 
highest temperature at the point of emergence in August was 45^°. 



SOUTHERN OXFORD COUNTY. 183 

The spring is surrounded with granite curbing 10 feet across, cemented 
to the rock, and a small house protects it. The only analysis available 
is a field assay given in the table (No. 263). 

Mount Mica Mineral Spring. — The Mount Mica Mineral Spring 
is situated on the southern slope of Mount Mica, near the boundary 
between the towns of Paris and Buckfield. The water bubbles out 
of sandy bowlder clay at an estimated rate of 1 or 2 gallons a minute. 
It has no color, odor, or taste. It is not sold, but people frequently 
carry it away in bottles for their own use. The water is reported to 
have been anah^zed, but the analysis has not been received by the 
Survey. A field assay is given in the table (No. 262). 

'^Magnesia Spring/^ Buckfield. — In the western part of Buckfield 
there is a spring which is reported to contain a large amount of 
magnesia. The water is not sold, but is carried away in bottles by a 
number of residents in the vicinity and is said to have medicinal 
properties. It is reported to have been analyzed, but no analysis 
has been obtained by the Geological Survey. 

Jones's Spring. — About one-half mile west of Norway is Jones's 
Spring, the water of which is sold in Norway. The flow is small, 
being reported as only one-half gallon a minute. 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

General statement. — The towns of Buckfield, Bethel, Fryeburg, 
Hebron, South Paris, and Norway have public supplies taken from 
surface sources. Paris Hill and the little town of Ridlonville use 
springs situated much higher up on a neighboring hillside, and Rum- 
ford Falls has a system of driven wells. The underground supplies 
will be described in detail. 

Rumford Falls. — The water supply of Rumford Falls was formerly 
taken from Androscoggin River, but two years ago a system of 2^- 
inch driven wells was sunk at the upper end of the village, below 
the settlement known as Virginia. The wells are 68 in number 
and range from 22 to 35 feet in depth. They are about 30 feet apart^ 
in sand and gravel that form the plain bordering the river, and 
are situated along a line 300 feet from the river. The system is 
owned by the Rumford Falls Water and Light Company. From the 
pumping station the water is pumped to a standpipe on the hill, with 
a capacity of 500,000 gallons and an elevation above the surface 
of 75 feet. The water is carried in cast-iron pipes and distributed 
by gravity from the standpipe. There are said to be 440 connections, 
which include most of the houses in town. Water to the amount of 
1,164 gallons a minute can be pumped by the present plant, and this 
rate is continued twenty-four hours a day. There seems to be an 
abundant supply of water and as yet there has been no trouble about 
obtaining it. 



184 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

The principal problem connected with the supply is its quality. 
Androscoggin Kiver, situated close by, is of course polluted by drain- 
age from the mills and towns farther up the stream. In addition 
to this factor, there is a swampy depression situated 50 feet east of 
the eastern line of the wells, and this depression lies downhill from 
the village of Virginia, in which the drainage conditions are poor. 
The water has a "mucky taste" and sometimes a little color in 
summer, and these defects have been supposed by residents of the 
city to be due to this depression. 

An interesting case connected with this supply was reported by the 
manager of the water company. The inhabitants of the village 
objected to the water from time to time for the reason that it was 
supposed to be contaminated. In 1905 a series of samples were 
collected and submitted for analysis to Prof. F. C. Robinson, of 
Bowdoin College. The results of these analyses are given in the 
table (Nos. 187 to 189), in which sample 1 was taken from the pump- 
ing station, sample 2 from the end of a long galvanized-iron main, 
and sample 3 from Hotel Rumford. These analyses show that the 
total solids are rather low. In sample 2 there were 20 parts per 
million more than in 1 or 3. The chlorine, silica, calcium carbonate, 
sulphates of sodium and potassium, and sodium chloride are the 
same or very nearly so in all three analyses, but the carbonate of iron 
differs. The one surprising discrepancy in the analyses is that the 
amount of carbonate of zinc reported is 1.084 parts in sample 2, 
which was taken from the galvanized-iron main, while samples 1 and 
3 showed no zinc. It is also noticeable that the carbonate of iron is 
greatest in the same sample and next greatest in the sample taken 
from Hotel Rumford, while the iron in the water at the pumping 
station is small. This seems to indicate, as stated by Professor 
Robinson, that the water in traveling through a galvanized-iron 
main dissolves a considerable quantity of the zinc, owing to the car- 
bon dioxide in the water. This gas is more often present in well water 
than in river or lake water and is a desirable constituent, but it 
seems to have a bad effect on the water by dissolving the zinc. The 
iron causes a deposit when the water stands. The zinc renders the 
water unfit for domestic use and is probably the cause of some of the 
taste which is reported. For this reason Professor Robinson recom- 
mended that galvanized-iron connections be taken out and connec- 
tions of tin-lined or brass pipe be substituted. The brass pipe is 
probably the best, but is more expensive. The bacteria in the water 
are all harmless. As seen by the analyses, they were most numerous 
at the pumping station and decreased rapidly toward the points 
where the water was used. The results of these analyses seem to 
mdicate strongly that the taste complained of was due to the use of 
galvanized-iron connections. 



SOUTHEEK OXFORD COUNTY. 185 

Another recommendation made by Professor Robinson was that 
the swampy depression back of the wells should be tilled up, as it 
affords a reservoir for stagnant water, and in the future may cause 
pollution of the wells. This recommendation is here reiterated, 
and it can not be too strongly urged that the conditions in the village 
of Virginia be kept as sanitary as possible in order to prevent any 
possible contamination of the public water supply. The pipes 
connecting with the mains in the streets are 16 inches in diameter, 
but m the distant parts of to^vn the mains are as small as 6 inches. 
There is 1 mile of 16-inch pipe, and in all there are about 5 miles of 
pipe. Black iron pipe is used at present, and it seems to give satis- 
faction. There is now a regulation of the company which does not 
allow plain iron, lead, or galvanized-iron pipe as connections. Water 
rates are $8 a year for ordinary faucets. The pressure on the main 
street is reported as 70 pounds. A test made of the pumping plant 
showed that 300,000 gallons of water could be pumped by it. This 
calls for only 25 gallons a minute from each of the 68 wells. 

The strata found in the wells consist of 18 to 25 feet of fine sand 
at the top, below which is 10 feet of fine gravel, in which the water 
occiu*s; below this is another layer of fine sand. The water in the 
wells stands higher than in the river, indicating that it is not derived 
from that source, but comes from back in the hills. 

Paris Hill. — The Paris Hill Water Company was incorporated and 
a gravity system of waterworks from Crocker Hill Springs was 
installed in 1899. The springs are situated on the side of a high hill 
about 2 miles east of the village. The water flows through a 2-inch 
cast-iron pipe to a reservoir 100 feet below the springs and 210 feet 
above the village. The pressure is 90 pounds. Water mains 6, 4, 
and 2 inches and service pipes three-f oiu'ths inch and one-half inch in 
size are used, and the total length of the mains is nearly 3 miles. 
There are no fire hydrants, but there are 70 taps, and about 350 per- 
sons, or approximately 95 per cent of the population of the village, 
use the public supply. It has been estimated that 5,000 to 15,000 
gallons of water are used daily. The supply is sufficient for all pres- 
ent needs. 

The Crocker Hill Springs seep out of gravel far removed from any 
source of pollution. The water is of as good quality as any other in 
Maine. Analyses made in 1901 for the owners by a New York chem- 
ist (name unkno\vn) and recalculated by the United States Geological 
Survey are given in the table (No. 261). The amount of total solids — 
11, 13, and 14 parts per million — is extremely low. Samples 1 and 2 
were taken from the reservoir and sample 3 at the residence of Mr. 
George M. Atwood, at Paris. 

Ridlonville. — The Shaw-Ridlon Land Company, of Ridlonville, 
owns a water supply derived from springs. The water is used only 
for domestic purposes and is satisfactory, but fire protection is needed. 



186 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

SOUTHERN PENOBSCOT COUNTY. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Penobscot County lies somewhat east of the center of Maine and 
has a length of 120 miles, extending from near the head of Penobscot 
Bay northward into the wilderness. Its greatest breadth east and 
west is about 70 miles, and its area is 3,254 square miles. Only the 
southern portion is covered by the present report. The northern 
border of this area lies near Oldtown and Charleston. The popula- 
tion of Penobscot County according to the census of 1900 was 76,246. 
The largest city is Bangor, with a population of 23,500, and Oldtown 
comes next with 5,763 inhabitants. This county is moderately hilly. 
Its elevation ranges from sea level to nearly 5,000 feet on the eastern 
slopes of Mount Katahdin, many miles north of the area covered by 
this report. In the area under consideration the greatest elevation 
is only about 1,000 feet, in the southeast corner of the county, on the 
edge of the mountains. Scattered throughout the county are a great 
many lakes, of which the largest are Newport Pond, Pushaw Lake, 
and Nichols Pond. Penobscot River flows through the center of the 
county from north to south, and on it are situated Bangor, Oldtown, 
and a number of the other principal towns. The Maine Central Rail- 
road crosses from west to east between Dover and Bangor and then 
runs northward along Penobscot River. This railroad has a branch 
running from Bangor southeastward to Ellsworth, in Hancock county, 
a second branch running southward along Kennebec River to Bucks- 
port, in Hancock County, and a third extending northward from 
Newport to Dover, in Piscataquis County. The Bangor and Aroos- 
took Railroad runs northward from Waldo County, and crosses the 
center of Penobscot County to South Lagrange, where it joins a branch 
of the same road which connects with the Maine Central Railroad at 
Oldtown. The locations of deep wells, important springs, and com- 
munities having public supplies are shown in PL 



UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATION TO ROCKS AND SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

Character and distribution of rocks. — Nearly the entire portion of 
Penobscot County included within this report is composed of slate. 
The only exception is a patch of granite which lies in the extreme 
southeast corner of the county, entering it for only a few miles in the 
mountain region. The slates which cover the county are typical of the 
class of slates which cover large areas in central Maine. They are fine 
grained and split parallel with the stratification, which is nearly vertical 
and strikes very uniformly in a direction about N. 30 ° E. Here and there 
dips of as much as 60° toward the southeast or northwest are found. 
In places numerous quartz veins are seen parallel with the stratifica- 



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SOUTHEKN PENOBSCOT COUNTY. 187 

tion, and these indicate that in past geologic ages a great deal of water 
has circulated in the rock. The fact that many bedding and cleavage 
planes are rather open near the surface indicates the possibility that 
a large proportion of the abundant water now found in these slates is 
held in these planes. Some of the water, however, occurs in joint 
cracks, an examination of the rock where it is quarried showing that 
there are abundant cracks in other directions than the cleavage planes 
which might hold water. 

At Brewer the direction of the principal system of joints is north- 
east and the hade about 50° SE. A second system strikes southeast 
and hades about 30° SW. A road cut at this place shows consider- 
able water seeping down along the cleavage planes. The general 
structure of the rock can also be well seen at a number of quarries 
along Kenduskeag Stream at Bangor. 

Surface dei^osits. — The surface deposits of Penobscot County differ 
greatly in thickness and character. Along Penobscot River the sands 
and gravels are locally as much as 100 feet in thickness, and some 
rather extensive areas of clay extend up the side valleys for several 
miles. Away from the river the gravels may be as much as 50 to 100 
feet thick in exceptional cases, but they generally occur in the form 
of eskers, morainic deposits, and irregular patches of gravel. 

Underlying the sands, gravels, and clays and overlying the bed 
rock almost everywhere is the regular bowlder-clay deposit which is 
found nearly everywhere in Maine. This ranges in thickness from a 
foot to more than 50 feet. Along Penobscot River in the vicinity of 
Veazie are long sections showing nothing but bowlder clay. Some 
of these are as much as 60 feet in height above the river. The upper 
part of this section is of a buff color for about 10 feet from the surface, 
and below that is the ordinary hard blue bowlder clay. There are a 
great many bowlders in the deposits, some of them up to 3 feet in 
diameter. No stratification can be seen in this type of deposit. 

On a hill in the southern part of Orono a well was once dug for Mr. 
N. W. Page to a depth of 54 feet. This well passed through nothing 
but hard bowlder clay and found no water until near the bottom. 

- WELLS. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Types ofvjells used. — Although the old-fashioned t^^pe of dug well 
is very abundant in this county, as elsewhere in Maine, and far pre- 
dominates in number over all other types, drilled wells are more 
widely scattered and are used by a larger number of people than in 
any other county in southern Maine. In the area under considera- 
tion there are supposed to be only two or three towns which contain 
no drilled wells, and in these towns there is no reason why drilled 
wells should not be successful. 



188 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Drilled wells. — The drilled wells which have been sunk in Penob- 
scot County are mostly 6 inches in diameter, this being the most com- 
mon size used in Maine. There are a few, however, wliich are reported 
as small as 4 and 5 inches. Several 7-inch wells have been drilled, 
and a well in Stetson, one of the oldest drilled wells in the State, is 
said to be 12 inches in diameter. A few wells are larger at the top 
than at the bottom, and a number are drilled in the bottom of dug 
wells, but tliis type is not recommended. The proportion of success- 
ful wells in Penobscot County is probably larger than in any other 
county in Maine. Altogether more than 85 wells have been drilled 
to depths greater than 50 feet, and it is not supposed that more than 
half a dozen of them have been abandoned for want of sufficient water. 

Quality of water. — Only one well is known in Penobscot County 
with the mineral content so high that the water can not be used. 
A number of wells are reported, however, that have been contami- 
ilated b}^ surface drainage and thereby rendered dangerous. As 
more analyses have been made of water from slate wells in Penobscot 
C9unty than in any other slate area in Maine, a fair knowledge of 
the quaUty of water is available. Of 35 analyses which have been 
made, 8 are nearly complete laboratory analyses, the rest being field 
assays and tests for only a few constituents. All analyses will be 
found in the table (Nos. 72 to 106). As will be seen, the total solids 
range from 74 to 834 parts per million, depending largely on the 
proportions of lime, sulphates, and carbonates in the water. The 
highest lime recorded is 214 parts per million in the well at the Bangor 
House, but no other reports exceed 82 parts. Several wells report 
5 to 10 parts per million of iron, but this is believed to be an error, 
as no iron can be tasted in these waters, and these figures should 
possibly be placed under "iron and alumina." Analyses of several 
spring waters are given in the table (Nos. 266 to 268). The waters 
of Penobscot County are as hard as any others in southern Maine, 
the hardness being in many waters from 100 to 300 parts per million. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

Bangor, — As the present water supply of Bangor is taken from 
Penobscot River it is badly contaminated by sewage and manu- 
facturing wastes from Oldtown and other villages. Hence the prob- 
lem of obtaining water from wells in the city is very important. 
Some persons still use dug wells, but the most popular type and the 
type advised in nearly every case is the drilled well. Within the city 
limits 13 drilled wells have been sunk; they range in depth from 30 
to 425 feet. 

The deepest well in Bangor, one of the deepest successful wells in 
Maine, is situated at the Eastern Maine Insane Hospital, 1 mile east 
of the city proper. This well was drilled in 1896 to a depth of 425 feet. 
A little water was struck at 50 feet, but the principal supply was 



SOUTHERN PENOBSCOT COUNTY. 189 

found at the very bottom of the well when all hope of success had 
been given up. The drill made a perceptible drop at the time the 
principal seam of water was struck. The water does not stand 
within 200 feet of the surface^ but notwithstanding this fact 30 gal- 
lons a minute, the full capacity of the pump, can be obtained. Three 
hundred or more people are supplied for drinking and laundry pur- 
poses. Analysis No. 75 is a field assay of water from this well. 
When used in the laundry the water has to be softened. 

Some of the best wells in Bangor were drilled during 1906 at the 
various schoolhouses in the city. The contract between the city 
and the drillers specified in every case that they must get at least 
2,000 gallons of water a day. Wells are situated at the high school, 
the Palm street school, the Larkin street school, anc" the Union 
square school, and all have been successful in getting an inexhaustible 
supply of fine water. The depths vary from 72 to 217 feet, the deep- 
est wells being generally the best. The water is not only used for 
drinking every day by the school children and by hundreds of pass- 
ers-by, but, in the case of the high-school well at least, it has been 
used extensively by several hotels and numerous residences in the 
vicinity for their tables. On hot summer days this well is pumped 
almost continuously from morning till night without exhaustion. 
At Palm street, in a test, the well was pumped continuously ten 
hours a day for three days, and the water level was not affected. 
Careful sanitary analyses have been made of the schoolhouse wells, 
with the result that they were found to be perfectly safe for drinking. 
Mineral analyses have been made which show considerable dis- 
crepancy in certain wells, but are a good index to the character of 
the water beneath Bangor, (See Nos. 76-79, 86-87, and 90-91 of 
the table.) 

Another excellent well, sunk in 1905, is that of Mr. F. L. Jones, 
on Center street. This well is 247 i feet deep; at this depth the drill 
dropped several inches and obtained water. The supply is so large 
that scores of neighbors use the well almost continuously. (See 
analysis No. 81.) The well at the court-house, winch was the fu^st 
well drilled in the city proper, and that of the Bangor House also 
furnish abundant supplies. In the latter well the drill penetrated 
30 feet of clay, 15 feet of '^rock," 5 feet of sand, and 240 feet of rock. 
As sand is very seldom found below solid rock, it is probable that the 
material below the clay is either an overhanging ledge or a large 
bowlder. The Bangor House well is said to yield 27 gallons a min- 
ute. Analyses of water from this well (No. 73) and from the court- 
house well (No. 88) are given in the table. Water from the well of 
the Maine Creamery Company is sold in Bangor under the name of 
Hopkins Artesian Spring water. It is believed to be excellent water. 
(See analysis No. 84.) The amount of total solids is only 86 parts 
per million, the lowest reported in analyses of Bangor wells. 



190 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

One flowing well has been obtained in Bangor. This was drilled 
in 1906 for Morse & Co., to supply drinking water for the men at 
their mill. The well is situated in the valley, only a few feet from a 
steep, rocky hillside. The water is pumped, but will rise 2 feet above 
the surface without pumping. It is of excellent quality and appears 
to be inexhaustible. It can be pumped down 75 feet in half an hour. 

The conditions in the country districts of Bangor have not been 
extensively investigated. Some drilled wells less than 50 feet in 
depth are kno^^'n, and it is probable that there are some of greater 
depth. At any rate, conditions are very favorable for getting deep 
supplies. 

There is a persistent belief among residents of Bangor that a lime- 
stone formation underlies the city and is encountered by certain 
deep wells. This is presumably due to the fact that the well waters 
are mostly very hard, ranging in many wells between 100 and 300 
parts per million. The hardness is due in these cases, however, to 
the solution of small amounts of calcareous material scattered 
through the slates and not to hut reo^ular bed of limestone. 

Brewer. — Several drilled wells have been sunk in the town of 
Brewer, but only two of them are deep. These were drilled in 1899 
for the Eastern Manufacturing Company, at South Brewer, and 
reached depths of 250 and 350 feet. The water is used for cooling 
acid at a pulp mill. The joint supply of the two wells is reported 
to be only 50 gallons an hour. The wells are situated not far from 
Penobscot River and the 350-foot well fluctuates with the tide and 
is reported to yield salty water. Xo drilled wells more than 30 feet 
in depth are known in this town, but as all wells in Bangor have been 
successful, drilling on this side of the river is likely also to be rewarded 
with success. 

At South Brewer a number of springs are used for supplying 
houses. Some of these springs are in bowlder clay, others issue 
from hard gravel underneath clav. One dug well in the vallev of 
Sedgeunkedunk Stream was dug through 19 feet of clay and 3 feet 
of gravel, and the water rose to the surface and overflowed, thus 
being truly artesian. A pipe was inserted below the surface and 
the water carried to houses in the valley. Where good spring water 
can be obtained from uncontaminated sources it should b3'all means 
be used in preference to river water. Dug wells or springs in the 
villages are not advised, but drilled wells will obtain water which is 
pure and safe. Oak Grove Spring is situated in this town. 

Veazie. — The people of Yeazie, except those who have the public 
supply from Bangor, use dug wells. It is probable, however, that 
plenty of good water can be obtained by drilling into the underlying 
rocks. 



SOUTHERN PENOBSCOT COUNTY. 191 

Orono. — Near the southern cornei of Orono a well was once dug, 
for Mr. N. W. Page, to the unusual depth of 54 feet. The well is 
situated on a round hill of bowlder clay 200 feet above the river. 
The material is all hard, stony bowlder clay, similar to that exposed 
in the section on the opposite bank of Penobscot River. On account 
of the tough nature of the material, it was necessary to blast with 
dynamite. The principal water bed was found at 30 feet, and the 
water seeps in everywhere lower down. The bottom of the bowlder 
clay was not reached. A field assay of this water is given in the table 
(No. 173). 

The village of Orono is supplied from Penobscot River, the water- 
works having been only recently installed. Several drilled wells sup- 
ply moderate amounts of water from depths of 50 to 60 feet. One of 
these is situated at the University of Maine. It seems probable that 
larger supplies may be expected by sinking 100 to 200 feet deeper. 

Oldtown. — Oldtown lies on the northern border of the area covered 
by this report, and its water supplies have not yet been investigated. 
No wells have been reported by correspondence, but as the rock con- 
ditions are similar to those of Bangor, where abundant and excellent 
supplies are found, it seems probable that like success will attend 
deep drilling at Oldtown. 

Orrington. — Several shallow drilled wells have been sunk in the 
town of Orrington, getting water at about 50 feet, in slate. The 
best example is the well of Mr. Archie Harding, in the southern part 
of the town. When the well was sunk a large stream of water is 
reported to have gushed into it and rose 40 feet from the bottom. 
This well was pumped with two pumps and could not be lowered 
appreciably. The quality of the water is excellent. A field assay 
is given in the table (No. 105). Every evidence seems to favor well 
drilling in this town. 

Hampden. — At scattering points in the town of Hampden a number 
of wells have been drilled, ranging in depth from 50 to 103 feet. 
There seems to be plenty of water for all domestic and farm pur- 
poses. In water from one of these wells a small amount of iron is 
reported. Four field assays (Nos. 100-103) were made in this town. 
In the square at Hampden Corner is a well 28 feet deep, belonging 
to the town. It was blasted in slate. As many as 20 families are 
said to use it, but it is exhausted during a drought. 

Newhurg. — No well reports from Newburg are at hand. The town 
is situated in rocks similar in nature to those at Bangor, however, 
and deep drilling here may be expected to be generally successful. 

Hermon. — In Hermon the wells are mostly between 10 and 25 feet 
in depth, and they yield a fair amount and quality of water. Drilled 
wells are not known, but they will probably be successful if drilled 
deep enough. 



192 UNDERGROUND AVATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Carmel. — In the town of Carmel a number of drilled wells have 
been sunk, from 45 to 75 feet in depth. The supplies are small, being 
generally only 2 or 3 gallons a minute, but there is generally enough 
water for domestic purposes. In one well it was reported irony, but 
otherwise it is good. 

Dixmont. — At North Dixmont a number of drilled wells have been 
sunk, from 50 to 120 feet in depth, mostly of which yield sufficient 
water for domestic purposes. A single field assay was made (No. 
104). In tliis part of the county the level of water in many shallow 
drilled wells varies with the season. 

Etna. — A number of wells are reported in Etna from 40 to 100 feet 
in depth. Water is obtained at two or more levels, but the most 
abundant supplies occur near the bottom of the wells. In one well, 
54 feet in depth, the principal seam of water was struck at 50 feet, a 
minor seam at 20 feet, and the yield is reported to be 15 gallons a 
minute. There is generally plenty of water for domestic and farm 
purposes. One well reports a little iron in the water. 

Plymouth. — Conditions in Plymouth are similar. Well records 
are lacking, but it is known that water can usually be obtained in 
slate at depths of 50 to 100 feet. The supplies are generally sufficient 
for domestic and farm purposes, and the water is of good quality. 

Newport. — Drilled wells are also used in Newport. They range 
in depth from 50 to 100 feet. Some of them are drilled in the bottoms 
of open wells, but this is a poor construction. (See p. 54.) The 
principal seams of water are encountered at all depths from 15 to 70 
feet. One well, 79 feet in depth, struck the principal seam at 70 
feet and a minor seam at 35 feet, and the total yield was 30 gallons 
a minute, but this is exceptionally large. In general there is enough 
water for a house and farm. Some data regarding the character of 
the water in East Newport are afforded by a laboratory analysis 
(No. 99), two partial analyses (Nos. 97 and 98), and one field assay 
(No. 96). The hardness and total sofids are extremely high for 
Maine. 

Stetson. — Several drilled wells have been sunk in Stetson. One of 
these is rather exceptional in being 12 inches in diameter. It is 74 
feet deep and was sunk in 1878, getting water at the bottom. An- 
other w^ell, 100 feet in depth, was drilled in the bottom of a dug well 
and found no water. One complete analysis has been made of water 
from this town (No. 106). 

Levant. — The wells in Levant are reported to be all dug, and the 
depths run from 8 to 25 feet. The quahty of the water is as good 
as is usual in dug wells. 

Glenhurn. — No drilled wells are reported in Glenburn, but it is 
possible that one or more of them may exist. The proximity of this 
town to Bangor and the similarity of the slate make it probable that 
water of Hke quantity and quality will be found. 



SOUTHEKN" PEKOBSCOT COUNTY. 193 

Kenduskeag. — A number of wells have been drilled in the town of 
Kenduskeag, and at least one of them is more than 100 feet in depth. 
This was sunk for Mr. Chester Weld and was dug 9 feet, blasted 13 
feet, and drilled 86 feet in rock, the drilling being done in instalments, 
as the well repeatedly went dry. At the depth of 109 feet drilling was 
stopped, the supply being then 1 gallon a minute. Particulars regard- 
ing oth^r weUs in this town are not known, but it would seem probable 
that more water can generally be obtained by drilling deeper. 

Corinna. — Drilled wells in Corinna are from 60 to 110 feet in depth. 
As a rule, sufficient water is obtained for domestic uses, and the 
quality is good. One well, however, 108 feet in depth, obtained 
water which was reported to be ^^ salty," and was so poor that it 
could not be used. A field assay of one sample of well water is given 
in the table (No. 95). 

About ten families in the village of Corinna are supplied by springs 
owned by Mr. F. F. Burrill. The supply was installed in 1897 and 
the water flows by gravity to the houses. 

Corinth. — A few drilled wells are known in Corinth. They run 
from 35 to 70 feet in depth and supply plenty of water for domestic 
purposes. One well at East Corinth, drilled years ago, was a failure, 
but there is no reason why deep drilled wells should not generally be 
successful in this town. 

Hudson. — A single well is reported in Hudson. It was drilled to 
a depth of 66 feet and gives enough water for ordinary domestic and 
farm purposes. Deep drilling in this town ought to meet with success. 

Charleston. — Drilled wells in Charleston range from 16 to 190 feet 
in depth. Some of the shallower ones get plenty of water, but the 
deeper ones are the best. In this vicinity the water stands at 4 to 12 
feet from the surface. Some wells can be pumped dry by continued 
pumping, but most of them can be lowered very little. One well, 
situated on the hill north of the village and 100 feet or so above the 
houses, was sunk for the Higgins Classical Institute to 105 feet, and 
the water stands 8 feet from the surface. It is siphoned down the 
hill to several houses in the village. There is abundant water and it 
can be lov/ered only 20 feet or so by pumping. The table includes a 
laboratory analysis of this water (No. 93) and field assays of the other 
well waters (Nos. 92 and 94). 

Garland. — No information is at hand with respect to wells in Gar- 
land. The rock formation being similar, it seems probable that the 
conditions for obtaining water will be like those found in Charleston 
and that the supplies will be both abundant and good. 

Dexter. — The village water supply of Dexter is taken from Dexter 
Pond. One drilled well is reported here 58 feet deep, but only a 
small amount of water was obtained. Conditions ought to be favor- 
able for getting plenty of water by drilling 100 to 200 feet in the slate. 
59969— TRR 223—09 13 



194 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Otlxer towns. — In towns east of the river, with the exception of 
Brewer and Orrin<]:ton, there are no drilled wells. For a ninnber of 
miles north of the area included in this report there are scattering 
(hilled wells, and they generally obtain plent}^ of water. Northeast 
of the area the region of abundant water supply continues into Aroos- 
took County. 

SPRINGS. 

The springs of Penobscot County are fairly numerous, although 
not so thickly distributed as in some parts of Maine. In the vicinity 
of Bangor are several mineral springs which supply water for many 
of the inhabitants. The commercial springs of the count}^ are as 
follows : 

Arctic ISpring, Bangor. 
Chapman's Spring, Orrington. 
Highland Spring, Holden Center. 
Hillside Spring, Bangor. 
Oak Grove Spring, Brewer. 
Sparkling Spring, Orrington. 

Arctic Spring. — The Arctic Spring is situated 1| miles north of 
Bangor, and the water is sold in Bangor. The flow is reported as 8 
gallons a minute and the temperature 44°. The hardness is 60 parts 
per million. 

Cha'pman^s Spring. — About one-quarter mile north of East Orring- 
ton is another spring the water of which is sold in Brewer. No infor- 
mation regarding it has been received. 

Highland Spring. — The Highland Spring is situated on a hillside 
in the toA\Ti of Holden, 5 miles east of Brewer. It is owned by Mr. 
C. B. Robinson, but is leased to Mr. A. H. Farrington. The water is 
said by the owners to issue from a crevice in the rock, and the spring 
is protected b}^ a small house built over it. The water is bottled and 
shipped under the name ^^ Highland Spring water." The analysis 
given in the table shows it to contain 16 parts per million of total 
solids. Owing to a misprint in the circular issued by the owners 
there are several errors in the composition reported. This water 
has been used in Bangor for sixteen years. The price of a 3-gallon 
bottle is 12 cents. This spring should not be confused with the High- 
land Mineral Spring in the city of Lewiston. 

Oal^ Grove Spring. — The Oak Grove Spring is owned by Miss Jennie 
Farrington, of Brewer. It is situated on the eastern bank of Penob- 
scot River, about one-half mile above the village of Brewer. The 
water issues from a steep slope of bowlder clay about 20 feet above 
the ordinaiy river level. In its exact geologic occurrence it issues 
from a bed of gravell}' bowlder clay and is said to come from a verti- 
cal crack one-eighth of an inch in width in the ledge below this deposit. 
No houses are situated within 500 feet of the spring. The fields above 



SOUTHERN PEXOBSCOT COUNTY. 195 

the spring are cultivated ^\dth grain, potatoes, etc. There seems to 
be Httle opportunity for poHution of the water, and it is probably 
perfectly safe for drinking. A small spring house has been built over 
the spring and the water is hauled to Bangor, where it is sold. It is 
colorless, odorless, and tasteless. The flow is about Ih gallons a 
minute and its measured temperature is 48°. The water sells at 12 
cents a 3-gallon bottle. The spring has been operated for five years 
by the present management, but was run several years earlier by 
other parties. The water is liighly appreciated by the people of 
Bangor. 

In 1906, in connection ^vith cooperative w^ork on mineral waters 
by the United States Geological Survey and the Bureau of Chemistry 
in the Department of Agriculture, a complete analysis of this water 
was made. The various constituents found are as follows: 

Analysis of ivater from Oak Grove Spring. 

[W. W. Skinner, analyst.] 

Gases (cubic centimeters per 1,000 grains at 0° C. and 760 mm. 
pressure) : 

Carbon dioxide (CO2), free 9.00 

Carbon dioxide (COo), set free from bicarbonates on evapo- 
rating to dryness 13. 40 

Parts per 

million 

by weiglit. 

Phosphoric acid radicle (PO4) None. 

Metaboric acid radicle (BO2) None. 

Arsenic acid radicle (AsO^) None. 

Silica (SiO_,) , 15. 50 

Sulphuric acid radicle (SO4) 4. 94 

Bicarbonic acid radicle (HCO3) 73. 03 

Nitric acid radicle (NO3) 5. 30 

Nitrous acid radicle (NOo) Faint traces. 

Chlorine (CI) 5. 60 

Bromine (Br) None. 

Iodine (I) None. 

Iron and aluminum (Fe and Al) 250 

Manganese (Mn) None. 

Calcium (Ca) 18. 58 

Magnesium (^Ig) 3. 50 

Potassium (K) 1. 10 

Sodium (Na) 6. 95 

Lithium (Li) None. 

Ammonium (NH4) Traces. 

Oxygen to form FeaOg and AI.2O3 100 

135. 850 

Free ammonia Traces. 

Albuminoid ammonia Traces. 

Nitrogen as nitrates 1. 20 

Nitrogen as nitrites Faint traces. 

Oxygen consumed 4. 00 



196 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

A good recoinmendatioii for this water is that a Bangor photog- 
rapher uses it entirely for his photographic work in preference to 
all other water. 

SparHing Spring, OrAngton. — The Sparkling Spring is situated 
in the town of Orrington, about H miles from the Brewer line and 
one-half mile east of Penobscot River. It consists of a hole dug 6 to 
10 feet deep in a hollow beside a little brook flowing over a gravel 
terrace. The water is reported to issue from three cracks in the 
ledge below, and it is said b}' the owners that a pole can be stuck 
down 10 feet in one of these cracks. This statement has not been 
verified. The water is sold in bottles in Bangor at the rate of 12 
cents a 3-gallon bottle. The analysis shows 194 parts per million 
of total solids, distributed as in analysis No. 268, recalculated from 
the compam^'s advertisement. ^^ There is considerable free carbon 
dioxide in solution." The spring is owned by Mr. Albert G. Dole 
and is leased b}^ Mr. E. H. Homestead. 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

The public water supplies of Penobscot County are taken entirely 
from surface sources. The city of Bangor and the villages of 
Brewer, Yeazie, Orono, Oldtowm, and Milford use water taken 
directly from Penobscot River. The ^^llages of Newport and Dex- 
ter obtain water from lakes near by. There are no well or spring 
supplies of any consequence. 

PREDICTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The most important water question in Penobscot County arises 
in connection with the public supply of Bangor and several surround- 
ing towns. These now obtain their suppty entirely from Penobscot 
River. Tliis water is badly polluted by sewage and manufacturing 
wastes from towns farther up the river, and is therefore dangerous to 
the public health. The people of Bangor realize this and many of 
them have been agitating for a safer source of supply. In 1906 the 
late Freeman C. Coffin, of Boston, was employed by the city council 
to make a thorough investigation of the Bangor water problem, 
for the purpose of deciding on the best source for a new supph". In 
liis report^ Mr. Coffin suggested four possible sources, as follows: 
(1) Ground-water supply; (2) Phillips Lake; (3) Felts and Eaton 
brooks; (4) Cold Stream Pond. 

All the sources were found to be of excellent quality, but no defi- 
nite decision was made between them. In regard to the ground- 
water supply, which was seriously discussed, two sources were con- 
sidered, one in the broad flats west of Penobscot River and south of 
Pushaw Pond, the other east of Penobscot River and opposite the 

n Bangor Daily Commercial, March 13, 1906. 



SAGADAHOC COUNTY. 197 

pumping station. Either of the sources ought to yield a satisfac- 
tory supply, the chief doubt being in regard to the amount of water 
which can be obtained. The surface water supplies mentioned 
above seemed to be of equal worth, but perhaps more expensive. 

It may be some time before a pure water system is installed. 
Meanwliile it is desirable that as man}^ individuals and companies 
as can afford it should drill wells for their own private supplies. 
So far as known, there have been no failures in deep wells within the 
city, and the deeper such wells are drilled the better and larger the 
supplies seem to have become. For that reason it is advised that 
well drilling be continued at least until the supply shows signs of 
diminution. Elsewhere in southern Penobscot Count v the condi- 
tions are very similar as regards the kind of rock, and there is no 
reason why w^ells 100 to 400 feet deep should not be just as success- 
ful as in the vicinity of Bangor. 

SAGADAHOC COUNTY. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Sagadahoc County is the smallest county in Maine. It is situated 
on the eastern border of Casco Bay and extends a few miles inland, 
having^ a length from north to south of 32 miles and an extreme 
width from east to west of 17 miles. Its area is only 259 square 
rniles. The population of this county according to the census of 
1900 was 20,330. Bath, the largest city, had a population of 11,527, 
more than one-half of the population of the county. Kennebec 
River flows from north to south across the center of the county and 
follows the eastern border for a short distance north of Bath. In 
Merrj^meeting Bay it is joined by Androscoggin River, which sepa- 
rates tliis county from Cumberland. South of Bath, Sagadahoc 
County is cut up by many indentations of the sea and enlargements 
of the river. The altitude ranges from sea level to nearly 500 feet. 
The principal transportation line is the main line of the Maine Cen- 
tral Railroad, which extends from Brunswick along the w^est bank 
of Kennebec River, a branch of the same railroad which runs east- 
ward beyond Bath, and a second branch which extends northwest- 
ward along the eastern border of Androscoggin River to Lewiston 
in Androscoggin County. 

A map of Sagadahoc County showing distribution of deep wells, 
important springs, and communities having public supplies forms 
PI. XX. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATION TO ROCKS AND SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

Distribution of rock types. — The rocks of Sagadahoc County must 
all be grouped as complex, which consists of granites, gneisses, slates, 
schists, and diorites, so rapidly alternating with one another that 



198 UNDERGROUND WATERS OK SOUTHERN MAINE. 

tlu'v call not be tlifl'crentiated on any map. So far as observed 
in the field, the western portion of the county seems to be more 
o:neissic and granitic than the eastern part, wliich is more schistose. 
The irreguhir proportions of the different rocks seem to have some 
effect on the quahty of the water in various parts of this county and 
in adjacent counties. 

Surface deposits. — The surface deposits of SagacUihoc County are 
not as thick as those in most other counties in Maine, owing hirgely 
to the fact that the county is cut up by man}^ indentations of the 
sea and much opportunity has been given for the removal of the 
deposits by erosion. Along Kennebec River, up many of the small 
side valleys, and in a few sheltered places along the coast are small 
areas of clay, some of them 100 feet above sea level. These may be 
underlain by gravel. Th'^y are of considerable extent in the county 
and are overlain in many places by sand and gravel. Overlying the 
bed rock, as elsewhere in the State, is a thin coating of till, which in 
extreme cases is 20 feet or more in thickness. Borings in the valley 
of Androscoggin River in Topsham show that there the bed-rock 
floor of the valley is at least 155 feet below sea level, indicating a 
deep filling of gravel and an old gorge extending some distance back 
into the State. 

WELLS. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Only about 20 wells are known to have been drilled in Sagadahoc 
County. These are widely distributed, but are most numerous in 
Bath and Woolwich. They are mostly 6 inches in size, but a few 
4-inch wells were sunk years ago. In depth they range from 40 to 
335 feet, the deepest well in the county being that of the Pejepscot 
Paper Company, at Pejepscot Mills. An interesting fact is that 
although this well obtains only a small quantity of water a 40-foot 
well drilled for the same company a few feet distant obtained an 
inexhaustible supply, showing that the conditions are very uncertain. 
So far as can be learned from a study of the wells and records, it 
would not seem advisable to drill to great depths in this county. 
The limit should probably be about 200 feet. If a well reaches that 
depth without obtaining a sufficient supply the most economical 
procedure will be to drill a second well a short distance away. In 
the city of Bath most of the wells which were drilled years ago have 
been abandoned owing to the installation of a good city water supply. 
The abandonment has not been due in every case to the quality of 
the wells or the water. It can be stated, however, that the supplies 
in this county are not as good as in many counties of the State, and it 
is probable that not more than half the wells which have been drilled 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE XX 




10 MILES 



• Successful well over 50 feet in depth 
•k Important spring 

■^ Communitj' having public supply from surface sources 
r J Community having public supply from wells 
■ Other important towns 

MAP OF SAGADAHOC COUNTY. 

Showing distribution of deep wells, innportant springs, and conamu- 
nities having public water supplies. 



SAGADAHOC COUNTY. 199 

are in use at present. Four field assays (Nos. loO, 151, 107, and 
199) and one laboratory analysis (No. 152) are given in the table. 
One mineral spring has been analyzed (Xos. 269-270a). 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

Bath. — The cit}^ of Bath has an excellent water supply, piped 
under Keiniebec River from Nequasset Pond, in Woolwich. For 
this reason no drilled wells have recently been sunk in the city. 
Some drilling was done years ago, mostly between 1883 and 1895. 
Eight or more wells were sunk to depths of 50 to 100 feet, and the 
3^ield ranged from 2 to 30 gallons a minute. Some of the water was 
used for boilers, but most of it was for ordinary domestic purposes. 
A few wells are still in use. The C. A. Hooker well is 100 feet deep 
and the water will rise to the surface at times. A considerable 
number of people in Bath use shallow dug wells. Many of them are 
in poor locations where they might easily be contaminated by surface 
drainage. It is advised that all such wells be abandoned. Two 
field assays of waters from Bath have been made (Nos. 150 and 151). 

Woolwich. — Next to Bath, Woolwich has the greatest number of 
wells in the county. Most of these are about 100 feet in depth. 
The}^ yield several gallons of water a minute and seem to be fairly 
satisfactory' as sources of supply^ A laboratory analysis of water 
from one of them is given in the appended table (No. 152). 

Georgetown. — On McMahans Island a well of the Sheepscot Land 
Company was drilled to a depth of 246^ feet and obtained a good 
supply of water. At Five Islands Mr. George E. Hughes sunk a well 
to 242 feet. This is pumped by an electric motor and seems to be 
satisfactor}". No other drilled wells are known in Georgetown. 

PMppshurg. — Only one drilled well is known to have been sunk in 
the town of Phippsburg. This is a 96-foot well at Fort Popham, but 
no data regarding it have been received. Most of the wells in to^Mi 
are dug from 6 to 30 feet, xlt Popham Beach many driven wells 
have been sunk, getting fresh water from 6 to 15 feet below the sur- 
face, in sand. Below that depth salt water is encountered. The 
level of fresh water in these wells rises with the tide. Among the 
sand dunes are a number of small ponds, which indicate the level of 
water in the dunes. At Popham Beach several years ago a boring 
was made to a depth of 962 feet for coal, but ^^dthout success. 

Topsham. — The village of Topsham has combined \\4th Brunswick 
in the Brunswick and Topsham Water District to install a supph' of 
water from driven wells situated on the flood plain of Androscoggin 
River. The supply is so excellent that wells are unnecessary in 
these villages. At Pejepscot Mills a well 335 feet in depth gave only 
enough water for two families. A well was later drilled near by to a 
depth of 40 feet and obtained plenty of water. This is an example 



200 UNDEKGKOUNI) WATEKS OK SOIT'I'HKKN MAINE. 

of the extreino iiTet^iilarity in the occurrence of rock water in this 
part of Maine. The formation here is mostly gneiss. In case any 
individuals or private companies in the village of Topsham desire 
water from wells in order to save water hills, it is probable that 
supplies can be obtained witli success equal to that at Lisbon and 
Bath, a few miles to the northwest and east, respectively, of Tops- 
ham. The Pine Spring is situated in this town. 

Bowdoinham,. — The only drihed well known in Bowdoinham was 
sunk for Mrs. George L. Hinckley to a depth of 124 feet. This seems to 
have been a good well, but is not used on account of a broken pump. 
A dug well 40 feet in depth, 35 feet of which is in gravel and 5 feet in 
ledge, supplies 20 families. The rest of the wells here are less than 40 
feet in depth. Two field assays (Nos. 107 and 109) have been made 
of well waters in this town. 

Richmond. — A number of drilled wells have been sunk in Richmond 
in the past, but most of them are less than 50 feet in depth. One well 
100 feet and one 65 feet deep are reported. Most wells in the village 
are abandoned, however, as there is a pviblic supply from Kennebec 
River. 

Other towns. — In the towns of Bowdoin, West Bath, and Arrowsic 
no drilled wells are known to have been sunk. While conditions are 
not as favorable as they are in Kennebec County, they seem to be 
better than in Lincoln County, and it is probable that drilling will be 
successful if the owner is willing to take the risk of possibly having to 
sink 2 wells before getting water. 

SPRINGS. 

General statement. — Springs are not especially abundant in Saga- 
dahoc County, but some excellent ones are known. At Pejepscot 
Mills, in Topsham, the paper company owns an excellent spring 
which issues from sand and gravel in the bank of the river. The 
water is fine and cold and the rate of flow never varies. It is in such 
a situation that there seems to be no chance of pollution, and the water 
is highly prized by the people at the mill and by the inhabitants of the 
small village. A little spring house has been built and the water 
is pumped by means of a hand pump. One commercial spring is 
situated in the county. 

Pine Spring. — As has been said, the Pine Spring is situated in the 
town of Topsham, 2 miles east of the village. It is owned by the Pine 
Spring Water Company, of Brunswick. The spring is situated in a 
small ravine in a sand plain. It is entirely surrounded by woods and 
as the pnly house in the vicinity is 500 feet distant, on the opposite 
side of the ravine, there is no chance for the water to become polluted. 
The water is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. The flow is 5 gallons 



SAGADAHOC COUNTY. 201 

a minute and the measured temperature is 44°. The water is sold 
as 'Tine Spring water" and is bottled for ginger ale and ''soda.'' It is 
not called a mineral water. A crate of six half-gallon bottles retails 
for $1.50. Formerly a spring house was built over the spring, but it 
is now in disrepair. Such a house is unnecessary, as the spring is 
situated far from all buildings. The analysis of the water is given 
in the table (No. 269), having been recalculated from the analysis 
published by the company, ^inother analysis of the water made by 
W. W. Skinner, of the Bureau of Chemistry, United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, in connection with cooperative work on mineral 
waters conducted by the Geological Survey and the Bureau of Chem- 
istry, is as follows: 

Analysis of Pine Spring mineral water. 

[W. Wo Skinner, analyst.] 

Gases (number of cubic centimeters per 1,000 grams at 0° C. and 
760 mm. pressure): 

Cai'bon dioxide (CO2), free ■ 8. 2 

Carbon dioxide (CO2), set free from bicarbonates on evapo- 
rating to dryness 2.4 

Parts per 

million 

by weight. 

Phosphoric acid radicle (PO4) None. 

■ Metaboric acid radicle (BO2) None. 

Arsenic acid radicle (AsO^) None. 

Silica (SiO,) 7. 4 

Sulphuric acid radicle (SO4) 1. 05 

Bicarbonic acid radicle (HCO3) 12. 86 

Nitric acid radicle (NO3) None. 

Nitrous acid radicle (NO2) Faint traces. 

Chlorine (CI) 4. 20 

Bromine (Br) None. 

Iodine (I) None. 

Iron and aluminum (Fe & Al ) 32 

Manganese (Mn) None. 

Calcium (Ca) 2. 14 

Magnesium (Mg) 79 

Potassium (K) 60 

Sodium (Na) 3.49 

Lithium (Li) None. 

Ammonium (NHj 026 

Oxygen to form Fe203 and AI2O3 

32. 876 

Free ammonia 025 

Albuminoid ammonia 005 

Nitrogen as nitrates Traces 

Nitrogen as nitrites Faint traces. 

Oxygen consumed 6. 00 



202 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

The city of Bath and the vihage of Richmond are suppHed with 
water fi'oni surface sources, the former from Kennebec River and the 
hitter from Xequasset Pond. Formerly the Bath supply was taken 
from S3 wells driven in sand, the average depth of which was about 20 
feet. These wells were abandoned for tlie present supply. The 
village of Topsham has combined with Brunswick to obtain a system 
of water supply from driven wells on the flood plain of Androscogorin 
River, a short distance below the villages. Tliis supply is desciibed 
in coimection with Cumberland County. 

SOUTHERN SOMERSET COUNTY. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Somerset County lies somewhat west of central Maine and extends 
north and south about half the length of the State, a distance of about 
140 miles. The maximum breadth of the county is 45 miles and its 
area is 3,831 square miles. In this report only the southern part of 
the county is included. The population of the whole county accord- 
ing to the census of 1900 was 33,849. The largest town is Skowhegan, 
with a population of 4,266. The county is rather mountainous, its 
altitude ranging from 150 feet above the sea along Kennebec River to 
3,600 feet at the summit of Mount Bigelow, but the liighest point in 
the area here discussed is probably not ever 2,000 feet high. Kenne- 
bec River is the principal stream, and flows through the center of the 
county in a southerly direction, except in the vicinit}' of Skowhegan, 
where it makes a marked bend. There are no important tributaries 
to the river in this part of the county, although Sandy River enters 
from the west in the vicinity of Madison, and Sebasticook River rises 
in the eastern part of the county and flows southward. Scattered 
throughout the count}^ are a great many large and small lakes, of 
wliich Moose Pond is the largest witliin the area covered b}" this 
report. The only lines of transportation are the Maine Central Rail- 
road, wliich runs southward from Skowhegan along the west bank of 
Kennebec River, and the Somerset Railway, which runs northward 
from Oakland through the center of the county to Moosehead Lake, 
outside the limits of the area here considered. A map showing the 
distribution of deep wells, important springs, and communities hav- 
ing public suppUes forms PI. XXI. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATION TO ROCKS AND SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

• Distribution of rock types. — The predominant rock foiTQation of 
Somerset Count}^ is slate, and the whole northern part of the count}- 
is formed of this rock, with three important exceptions. These are 



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SOUTHEEN SOMERSET COUNTY. 203 

areas of granite. The first lies just west of Hartland and St. Albans 
and covers the southern part of Harmon, the western part of Hart- 
land, the northeast corner of Cornville, and the southwest corner of 
Athens. The second granite area lies in the extreme southwest comer 
of the county and covers nearly the whole of Mercer, the portion of 
Norridgewock southeast of the village, and the west corner of Smith- 
field. The third granite area extends from Embden Pond, in Embden, 
northwestward beyond the limits of the area included in tliis report, 
and covers the northern part, of New Portland, the northwestern part 
of Embden, the western edge of Concord, and probabl}' the whole of 
Lexington and Highland plantations. Moderate amounts of water 
are found in granite, but the supphes are irregularly distributed. 
The granite is quarried in the vicinity of South Norridgewock. 

The slate of tliis part of Somerset County is typical of the slate 
making up a large part of central Maine. It is a very fine-grained 
drab to black slate and splits parallel ^yith. the stratification. The 
strike is in general about N. 60° E. and the dip is as a rule nearly 
vertical, although in some places it is inclined. Locally this slate is 
slightly calcareous. Considerable water is found in this rock. 

Surface deposits. — Along Kennebec River and in other sections 
where the land is rather low the surface is covered ^^dth sand and 
gravel and some clay, which form flat plains extending backward 
from the river in places for a mile or more. These plains are well 
developed in the vicinity of Skowhegan. One of these broad gravel- 
filled valleys Ues bet^veen Norridgewock and North Fairfield. In 
these deposits good water is abundant and issues in the form of 
springs around the sides of the plains. The county contains also 
irregular gravel deposits. On the uplands the surface consists mostly 
of bowlder clay, which ranges from a few inches to 20 feet or more in 
thickness. In some of the mountain regions the surface is nearly 
bare of drift. 

W^ELLS. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTIOX. 

Types of wells used. — The prevailing type of well in Somerset 
County is the old-fashioned open well, such as is common throughout 
the State. These wells are, as a rule, sunk in bowlder clay and gravel, 
although some of them are blasted a few feet into the rock. They 
range in depth from 5 to 40 feet. Generally they are successful in 
times of abundant rainfall, but are likely to i-un dry in summer. 

Drilled wells. — Only about a dozen drilled wells have been sunk in 
Somerset County. In diameter they vary from 5 to 8 inches, but 6 
inches is the prevailing size. The depth ranges from 26 to 157 feet, 
the most common depth being about 80 feet. They strike rock at 
1 to 50 feet below the surface, and the greatest supply of water may 



204 UNDERGROUND WATERS OE SOUTHERN MAINE. 

be found am^vhere betAveen' the top and the bottom of the well. So 
far as kno\\ai all the drilled wells have been sunk m slate, but there is 
no reason why they should not be successful in granite, as they are 
elsewhere in Maine. In one well the water rises to the surface of the 
ground. 

Quality of water. — As few anal3^ses have been made of waters from 
wells in Somerset County, not a very good idea can be given of the 
quality of water here. The total solids found in a well which was 
dug m drift and blasted in the imderlying rock were 408 parts per 
million, and the hardness was 188. The amount of total solids in a 
drilled well was 56, and the hardness was 35. Another drilled well, 
26 feet in depth, in slate and situated high up on a hillside, contained 
29 parts of carbonates, a trace of sulphates, and 3.5 parts of chlorme. 
The details of these analyses are given in the table (Xos. 108 to 110). 
A good idea of the character of water which may be found in slate in 
this part of Maine may be had by consulting the analyses given in the 
table in connection with, western Penobscot and northern Kennebec 
counties, on pages 78-79. The analyses of waters in granite in other 
parts of Mame are given on page 77. Anatyses of several mineral 
springs are also given in the table (Xos. 271 to 273). 

Quantity of water. — In general in Somerset County there seems to be 
plenty of water in the slates. Of the dozen wells drilled four have 
been failures, but three of these were situated on a barren hilltop 
where there was little soil and where there would seem to be little 
probability of finding water. The other well, reported only a small 
fraction of a gallon per minute. One well was abandoned on account 
of poor water, and several have not been used since waterworks were 
installed in their respective towns. As the rock of Somerset County, 
with the exception of that in the granite areas, is similar to that of 
southern Penobscot County, where water is abundant, good supplies 
may also be expected in Somerset County. 

Flowing wells. — ^A 25-foot well drilled on a slate hillside in the 
eastern part of Xorridgewock obtained water which overflows the 
surface except in times of dry weather. With this exception no flow- 
ing wells are knowm in the county. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

Slcowliegan. — Skowhegan, the county seat and largest town in 
Somerset County, is largely supplied with water by several aqueduct 
companies that obtain water from springs situated on the slopes of a 
sand plain bordering the village. The supplies are believed to be very 
good at present, but care should be taken to prevent their contami- 
nation by surface drainage. A full description of the public supplies 
of Skowhegan is given under the appropriate heading (pp. 209-210). 
The only drilled well in the village was sunk more than twenty years 



SOUTHERN SOMERSET COUNTY. 205 

ago for Mr. Levi P. Weston, on an island in the middle of the river. 
This well was pumped by a \\dndmill, but was abandoned when the 
cit}^ waterworks were installed in 1888, On the sand plains sur- 
rounding the town there are a number of driven wells which seem to 
obtain adequate supplies of good water, and sunilar supplies may be 
obtained almost anywhere on the sand plains along Kennebec River. 

Norridgewock. — On the sand plain south of the river in Norridge- 
wock a large amount of water can be obtamed by driven wells 10 or 
15 feet m depth. The wells in the village are shallow. On the high- 
lands east of the village of South Xorridgewock are two drilled wells. 
One of these is 77 feet in depth and probably contains water, but has 
not been used because the owner had no deep-well pump. The other 
drilled well is situated in the eastern part of the town. It is only 26 
feet in depth and overflows except in dry weather. It is siphoned 
down the hill to a farmhouse on the slope below and supplies water 
for domestic and farm purposes. It would seem that siphons might 
be more widely used in Maine. A field assay made of the water in 
this well is given in the table (No. 108). 

Fairfield. — The village of Fairfield forms a part of the Kennebec 
water district, which obtains water from China Lake. In Fairfield 
an 8-inch well was drilled in 1884 to a depth of 91 feet. It is still 
used, and the water seems to be of good quality. As this to^\^l lies in 
the slate area in which abundant water supplies are found in neighbor- 
ing parts of Penobscot County, it would seem that equally successful 
wells might be obtained here. The Rocky Hill Spring is situated in 
this to^\Ti. 

Pittsfield. — Pittsfield is supplied from the Sebasticook River. The 
water is reported as rather poor. In the village are a great many dug 
wells, 12 to 50 feet in depth, which are somewhat suspicious, as they 
are subject to contamination from surface drainage. One spring is 
situated near a number of houses and is probably not safe. Two or 
more drilled wells have been sunk in this village to a depth of less than 
50 feet. The water is only of fair quality and is called hard. It is 
probable that more water could be obtained by sinking deeper, and 
it may be of better quality, although this can not be stated Avith cer- 
taint}^. An open well for Dr. F. J. Taylor was dug 20 feet and blasted 
6 feet. The water has a fine taste and never gives out. A field assay 
of this water is given in the table (No. 110). A well drilled 47 feet for 
Mr. W. R. Hunnewell is reported to have a hardness of 35 parts (No. 
109) while that of the Taylor well is 188. The total solids of the for- 
mer were 56 and of the latter 408. In the Taylor well 48 parts of 
chlorine per million were found. 

Palmyra. — Several drilled wells in Palmyra have, attained fair suc- 
cess; several others, however, have not. An example of unsuccessful 
drilling is found on the estate of Mr. Perry Furbush, whose farm is 



206 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

situated on top or a hill where the rock reaches the surface. Three 
Avells were sunk. The first was dug and blasted 43 feet; then a hori- 
zontal gallery was run at right angles to the strike of the slate for a 
distance of 24 feet, but no water was found. This well was then 
(hilled to 157 feet from the surface, when the tools became stuck and 
work was stopped. No water was found. Well No. 2 was drilled 80 
feet through ledge and now supplies 20 to 30 gallons of water a day, 
siunmer and winter. Well No. 3 was also drilled 80 feet in ledge. 
The tools stuck at 80 feet, and the well had to be abandoned. This 
well was situated only 130 feet from the first. By pumping it dry 
every four hours 125 o^allons of water a daA' could be obtained, which 
was not enough. As all the wells on this estate have proved to be 
practically failures, a spring some distance away on the hillside is 
used for watermg the cattle. This spring is reported to issue from a » 
vertical crack on a rotten seam parallel with the bedding of the slate. 
In other parts of town several drilled wells are supposed to have 
attained greater success, but these were not visited. 

St. Albans. — At least one well is known to have been drilled in the 
town of St. Albans. The depth is reported to be 49 feet, and the 
yield is only a fraction of a gallon a minute. Deeper drilling in this 
town might meet with greater success in both the granite and the 
slate areas. The Glenwood Mineral Spring is situated in this town. 

Hartland. — One or more wells less than 50 feet in depth have been 
drilled in the town of Hartland. The water was poor and they are 
not used. It would seem that by sinking to a greater depth water 
ought to be obtained in both the granite and the slate areas. 

Madison, Anson, and Solon. — These three towns, although lying a 
little south of the northern extremity" of the area considered in this 
report, have not been studied. The}^ will be included in the report 
on the underground waters of northern Maine. 

Other towns. — Other towns in this area obtain supplies entirel}^ 
from dug wells and from springs. Where the wells are favorably 
situated the conditions are supposed to be good. In many places 
springs are of good quality and are much better and cheaper than 
wells. 

SPRINGS. 

General statement. —As stated above, springs are very abundant 
in Somerset County and are used for both public and private supplies, 
especially along Kennebec River. North of Madison several town 
supplies come from this source. Skowhegan and Fairfield also have 
spring supplies in part. Three mineral springs reporting sales are 
situated within the limits of Somerset Count}^. These are the Glen- 
wood Spring at St. Albans, the Pine Grove Spring near Pittsfield, 
and the Rock}^ Hill Spring at Fairfield. 



SOUTHERN SOMERSET COUNTY. 207 

Glenwood Spring. — In the town of St. Albans, about 2 miles north 
from the post-office, is the Glenwood Spring. The water is reported 
by the owner, Mr. C. A. ]\Ioulton, to issue from sand with a volume 
of 30 gallons a minute. It has no color, odor, or taste, and the 
temperature is said to be 48°. The water is shipped for table and 
medicinal use. An analysis, reported by the owner, has been recal- 
culated into ions and parts per million and is given in the table 
(No. 272). The total solids amount to 67 parts. The following 
anatysis, wliich gives the full composition of the water, was made by 
W. AY. Skinner, of the Bureau of Chemistr}^, United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, in connection with cooperative work on mineral 
waters conducted by the Geological Survey and the Bureau of 
Chemistry. 

Analysis of water from Glenivood Mineral Spring. 
[W. W. Skinner, analyst.] 

Gases (cubic centimeters per 1,000 grams at 0° C. and 760 mm. 
pressure) : 

Carbon dioxide (CO,), free 7. 30 

Carbon dioxide (COo), set free from bicarbonates on evaporat- 
ing to dryness 10. 00 

Parts per 

million 

by weight. 

Phosphoric acid radicle (PO4) None. 

Metaboric acid radicle (BO2) None. 

Arsenic acid radicle (AsOJ None. 

Silica (SiOa) 11. 00 

Sulphuric acid radicle (SO4) - 3. 62 

Bicarbonic acid radicle (HCO3) 54. 71 

Nitric acid radicle (NO3) 1. 55 

Nitrous acid radicle (NO2) None. 

Chlorine (CI) 1. 80 

Bromine (Br) None. 

Iodine (I) None. 

Iron and aluminum (Fe and Al) 35 

Manganese (Mn) None. 

Calcium (Ca) 13. 01 

Magnesium (Mg) 2. 49 

Potassium (K) 93 

Sodium (Na) 3. 92 

Lithium (Li) None. 

Ammonium (NHj) Oil 

Oxygen to form Fe.O.^ and AloO:^ 150 

93. 541 

Free ammonia 01 

Albuminoid ammonia 01 

Nitrogen as nitrates 35 

Nitrogen as nitrites ." None. 

Oxygen consumed 5. 00 



208 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Pine Grove Spring. — About 5 miles southeast of Pittsfield is a 
spring kno's\TL as the Pine Grove Spring. The flow is reported large, 
and the temperature is given as 48°. The water is sold in Pittsfield 
and vicinity. 

Rocky mil Sirring. — The Kocky Hill Spring, owiied by Mr. W. N. 
Osborne, is situated 1^ miles north of the village of Fairfield. The 
spring is said to flow 18 gallons an hour and to issue from slate. 
The flow diminishes somewhat in a severe drought. The tempera- 
ture is reported as 46°. The water is colorless and tasteless. It is 
sold in Waterville and Fairfield. A sanitary anlaysis made in 1896 
showed it to be of excellent quality. The mineral analysis, from 
the analysis advertised by the owner ^ is given in the table (No. 271). 
A more complete anal3"sis was made by W. W. Skinner, of the Bureau 
of Chemistry, United States Department of Agriculture, in connec- 
tion with cooperative work on mineral waters conducted by the 
Geological Survey and the Bureau of Chemistry. This is as follows: 

Analysis of tvater from Roclcy Hill Spring. 

[W. W. Skinner, analyst.] 

Gases (cubic centimeters per 1,000 grams at 0° C. and 760 mm. 

pressure) : 

Carbon dioxide (COj free), 7. 20 

Carbon dioxide (COo), set free from bicarbonates on eA'-apo- 

luting to dryness 11. 60 

Parts per 

million 

by weight. 

Phosphoric acid radicle (PO4) None. 

Metaboric acid radicle (BO2) None. 

Arsenic acid radicle (AsO^ ) None. 

. Silica (Si02) 10. 60 

Sulphuric acid radicle (SO4) 3. 66 

Bicarbonic acid radicle (HCO3) 63. 57 

Nitric acid radicle (NO3) 2. 20 

Nitrous acid radicle (NOo ) None. 

Chlorine (CI) " 2. 80 

Bromine (Br) None. 

Iodine (I) None. 

Iron and aluminum (Fe and Al ) 140 

Manganese (Mn) None. 

Calciiun (Ca) 13. 29 

Magnesium (Mg) 4. 34 

Potassium (K) 85 

Sodium (Na) • 4. 60 

Lithium (Li) None. 

Ammonium (NII4) Traces. 

Oxygen to form FegOg and AlaO;, 060 

106. 110 

Free ammonia Traces. 

Albuminoid ammonia Traces. 

Nitrogen as nitrates 50 

Nitrogen as nitrites None. 

Oxygen consumed 3. 50 



SOUTHERN SOMERSET COUNTY. 209 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

Slcowhegan. — About half the inhabitants of Skowhegan obtain 
water from what is known as the ''city water" system. This 
system is, however, owned by the Skowhegan Water Company, 
which has a contract to provide the village with fire protection. 
The water comes from a ponded brook in a valley on the eastern 
edge of the village and is believed to be of fair quality. There are 
also four aqueduct systems drawing water from springs situated in 
ravuies in the sand plains which surround the village. These are 
the West Aqueduct Company, the Coburn Aqueduct Company, the 
Skowhegan Aqueduct Company, and the Niel Aqueduct Company. 
All these supply the part of the village situated north of the river. 
On the south side of the river there are a number of private systems. 

The springs of the West Aqueduct Company are two in number 
and issue from the base of a sand and gravel plain on the northern 
and western edges of town. The plain is underlain by clay. One 
of these springs is situated 300 feet from the nearest house built on 
the plain above; this is probably safe. The other spring is 50 feet 
or less below a stable on the edge of the plain; this spring would seem 
to be dangerous and ought to be abandoned. The water is collected 
in two tanks built over these springs and runs by gravity to the 
houses where it is used. Most of West Skowhegan gets water from 
this system. The water is called excellent by the users. This is 
the largest aqueduct system, and supplies about 150 families. A 
field assay of tap water is given in the table (No. 273). 

The spring of the Coburn Aqueduct Company is situated within a 
few hundred feet of the West Aqueduct springs, in another ravine. 
This water is of excellent quality and appears to be safe. The 
system is reported to supply about 100 families. 

The Skowhegan Aqueduct Company's system is smaller, deriving 
its supply from a well and a spring situated on the edge of the plain 
on North street. The well is a large dug well, probably 15 feet in 
depth, on top of the plain and not 50 feet distant from two houses. 
The water is in sand, on top of clay. The company is reported to 
have 36 takers. The spring is situated not 20 feet from a house 
and on the slope below it. This situation appears rather dangerous 
and it would be advisable to abandon the spring. 

The Neil Aqueduct Compan}^ obtains its supply from an old brick- 
yard some distance down the ravine from the springs of the West 
Aqueduct Company. 

All these supplies are gravity systems, and as the sources lie on 

the edge of the sand plain they can not reach the people living on 

the higher land. These families are supplied by "city water." 

Most of the patrons of the aqueduct water use spigots, which flow a 

r)9069— IRK 223—09 14 



210 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

constant stream through a hole about one-twentieth of an iiirli in 
diameter through a ghiss tube. The rates are S6 a year. 

The first aqueduct Hne is reported to have been laid in this viUage 
as long ago as 1830. 

Other towns. — A part of Fairfield has a spring supply. Pittsfield 
and the rest of Fairfield use surface water. 

PREDICTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

In Somerset Count v the conditions for obtainino; undero:round- 
water supplies seem to be fairly good, but as yet they have not beeii 
fully developed. In a few places, as in some of the villages, water 
is obtained from dug wells which are evidently polluted by surface 
drainage and are unsafe. Where there is any suspicion about the 
quality of the water the dug wells should be abandoned for the 
public supplies or drilled wells. The latter are suitable for use 
nearly everywhere and are in many places better than the public 
supplies. Some springs have been seen which should not be used, 
but as a rule the springs in the county are well situated and are safe 
for drinking. 

WALDO COUNTY, 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Waldo Coimty lies in southern Maine, just west of Penobscot 
River and Penobscot Bay. It is a small county, having a total 
extent north and south of only about 35 miles, and the same east and 
west. Its area is 748 square miles, and the population according to 
the census of 1900 was 24,185. Belfast, the principal town, contains 
4,615 inhabitants. Tliis county is moderately hilly and ranges in 
elevation from sea level to nearly 1,100 feet. It has no large streams 
except the Penobscot, on which it borders, but contains a few small 
lakes. Its transportation lines are the Maine Central Railroad, 
runnino; northwestward from Belfast across the countv, and the 
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, which runs northward from Sears- 
port. A map of Waldo County sho^dng the distribution of deep 
wells, important springs, and communities having public supplies 
forms PI. XXII. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATION TO ROCKS AND SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

Distribution of rod: types. — Probably about half of Waldo County 
is composed of slate. The area occupied by this rock lies northwest 
of a line drawn rouglily from the southwest corner of the county 
northeastward to Penobscot River, on the border of Penobscot 
County. Theie is also a considerable patch of slate and slaty rocks 
southwest of Stockton Springs, which covers the greater part of the 



U. S. GE 



/ 



/ 



/ 




Sheeji. 
Grea 



^ 

D: 
O 



U. S. QEOLOQrCAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE XXII 




MAP OF WALDO COUNTY. 
Showing distribution of deep wells, important springs, and communities having public water supplies. 



WALDO COUNTY. 211 

towns of Scarsport, Belfast, and BoJmont and smaller })arts of S(\iis- 
mont and oilier towns. Islesboro is also jnostly slater, al thou (^h thin 
and iinimpoi'tant hands of limestone are reported to eross this island. 

The i)rincipal <2jianite area in Waldo County lies in the southeastern 
part of Winterport, the eastern part of Frankfort, in Prospect, 
northern Searsport, and eastern Swanville. Pai'ts of Swaiiville, the 
<ijreater j)ai-t of AValdo, smaller ])arts of Brooks, Moi-rc^ll, western 
SearsmonI, southeastern Montville, Liberty, and southeastern 
Palermo aic underlain by a complex consisting mostly of o^ranite, 
gneiss, diorite, schists, and other rocks. Another arm of the com- 
plex enters the southern edge of the county and covers the greater 
part of Lincolnville and Northport, but also includes ])art of Sears- 
mont and j)robably a corner of Belmont. 

As a rule the slate of Waldo County strikes in a northeast direction, 
and the cleavage has generally about the same trend. The slate is 
hai'd and compact and the dip is always liigh. A small part of 
eastern Waldo County has been studied thoroughly by the geologists 
of the United States Geological Sui-vey, and the results have been 
published in the Penobscot Bay geologic folio.'* It is ther(\for(». possi- 
ble to say with considerable certainty what kind of j-ocks are found 
in the various towns in this region. The distributicm of these rocks 
will be described under the town headings. 

Surface deposits. — The unconsolidated deposits forming the sur- 
face of Waldo County consist for the most part of bowlder clay, 
which I'anges in thickness from 1 to 20 feet or more, })ut is commonly 
thin. This bowlder clay generally forms the surface on the hills 
whei-e they do not consist of bare rock, bnt in the lowlands it is in 
many places overlain by various amounts of stratified sand and grav<'l, 
and here and there by clay. These deposits locally form flat i)lains, 
})nt are nowhere of great extent. 

WELLS. 

(iKNKIlAli DIOHCini'TION. 

Types of wells used. — The predominant type of wells in Waldo 
(.'ounty is the ()j)en well. They vary in depth from 10 to more than 
;>() feet and are generally dug in gravel or bowlder clay, although 
som(5 of them are blasted in rock. These wells are generally success- 
ful in wet seasons, but in summer they usually dry uj). 

Drilled vxdls. — A greater number of wells have been diilled in 
Waldo County than in any other county on the Maine coast exce])t 
Cumberland. There are more than a hundred such wells within the 
limits of the county. They are mostly G-incdi wells, bnt, a few 7 inches 
in size are re|)orte(l, and a number of wells are 8 inches at the top and 
f) inches at the bottom. One well was 10 inches at the toj) and S 

"(Jcolo^'ic Alius ['. S., folio M!», IJ. 8. Cii-ol. Siirviiy , I'.Mi?. 



212 UNDERGEOUXD WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

inches at the l)ottom. In depth they run from 30 to 329 feet. Most 
of them have been successful, aUhough a few have been abandoned 
owing to insufficient supply, and in one or two the quality of the 
water has not been up to the standard. 

Quality of vjater. — The quality of water in Waldo County is gener- 
ally good. In all, 14 analyses are kno^vn to have been made. Most 
of them are of slate waters, but a few anah^ses of water from other 
rocks have been made. The total solids reported range from 138 to 
163 parts per million, and one well reports them as high as 234. The 
hardness runs from 85 to 152 parts, but is reported, in onl}^ a few 
analyses. The carbonates range from none to 28, and the calcium 
from 8 to 47. Some reports of iron run as high as 10, but tiiese are 
believed to be erroneous. A better idea of the quality of the water 
can be had from the table (Xos. Ill to 127, 153, and 154). 

Quantity of vjater. — The quantity of water found in wells in Waldo 
Count}^ is extremely variable, depending on the situation, time of 
year, kind of rock, and other conditions. In some wells onl}" a trace 
of water was found. In one of the wells situated at Cape Jellison the 
supply was 200 gallons a minute, according to the reports of the 
railroad company. Only a few failures have occurred in the county. 
In general the water seems to be best in slate. In the complex region 
indicated on the map (PI. I) supplies will probably not be found to be 
quite as large as elsewhere. 

Flovnng vjells. — Several flowing wells have been noted in Waldo 
County. Two of these are situated in the towm of Islesboro and are 
deep drilled wells, probably deriving their head from near-by hilltops 
rising a few feet above the surface of the well. A similar w^ell is 
reported at Searsport, but the hill from which its head is derived 
seems to be at a distance of several hundred feet. The flowing wells 
in slate of which these are examples are caused by water pressure due 
to the inclination of the joint cracks running from hills in the vicinity, 
and the flows are found wdiere the intervening rocks are overlain by 
clay and hardpan, which close the joints at the surface. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

• 

Belfast. — Belfast obtains its public supply from Little River, which 
enters the sea 2 miles south of the village. The water is poor, being 
taken from a very swampy reservoir near the mouth of the river. In 
summer it has a fish}^ odor. As far as health is concerned it is prob- 
ably not dangerous, and if taken from a higher point on the same 
river and confined in a reservoir containing less vegetation the water 
w^ould probably be satisfactory^. 

In the upper part of the village a few^ wells have been dug in clay 
and bowlder clay. These are situated near houses and are in danger 
of pollution from drainage. Some persons prefer the wells to the city 



WALDO COUNTY. 213 

water, but the public supply is safer. One drilled well in town is 
39 feet in depth, and the water is used for domestic purposes. The 
slate in this town is similar to the slate of Penobscot County and 
ought to give plenty of water, although its capacitj^ has not yet been 
thoroughly tested by drilling. 

Belmont. — The onh" drilled well in Belmont is that belonging to Mr. 
Horace Chenery. It is 187 feet deep, and slate was struck at 12 feet 
fi'om the surface. The well was cased with 1 0-inch casing to rock, 
and 8-inch casing was then placed inside and the space between filled 
with cement, making it water-tight. The yield is reported as 19 
gallons a minute, and the analysis (No. Ill) records 138 parts per 
million of total solids. 

Searsmont. — In Searsmont there are no drilled wells. The deepest 
well is dug 44 feet deep and supplies good water. A field assay (No. 
201) shows 16 parts per million of carbonates. The public supply of 
Searsmont is obtained from springs. The village has a few driven 
wells, but none have been drilled. 

Nortliport. — The town of Northport is underlain largely by a com- 
plex of slates and schists, with considerable granite and diorite and 
other injected igneous rocks. Northport Camp Ground is supplied 
by a public system from springs and a drilled well belonging to 
the ^fountain Spring Water Compan}^. The well is 168 feet deep, 
is situated on the hill in the upper part of the village, and supplies 
27 gallons of water a minute. An analysis (No. 153) shows total 
solids amounting to 145 parts per million and a hardness of 87. 
Another well, 64 feet in depth, obtained a small amount of water. 
The total solids and the hardness are 234 and 126 parts per million, 
respectively. A full description of the deeper well is given under the 
heading "Public supplies" (p. 217). 

Searsi)ort. — Searsport is underlain mostly by slate and schist- 
There are, however, traces of other rocks in the town. The village 
until recently was supplied by two springs situated on the hillside 2 
miles west of the village, but now buys its water from Stockton 
Springs, which obtains its supply from Halfmoon Pond. 

The best drilled wells in Searsport are those of the Bangor and 
Aroostook Railroad (Northern Maine Seaport Railroad Company). 
One of these, situated at the terminal, is 329^ feet deep.' This well 
yields 60 gallons of water a minute with a steam pump. A similar 
well at Kidders Point is 285 feet deep and yields 130 gallons a minute. 
The water is sold to supply steamships and is also used for running 
an electric plant. 

In the village of Searsport there are several wells. Some of these 
are about 100 feet deep and give many gallons of water per minute. 
The well at the Searsport House is said to overflow the surface in 
wet weather. The quality of the water is veiy good. The common 



214 UI^DEKGROUND WATEKS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

constituents are reported in the analyses of the raih'oad wells (Nos. 
118 and 123). As will be seen, the total solids range from 100 to 150. 
The water is excellent for (h'inking purposes, but it forms a small 
scale in locomotive boilers. 

Stocl'ton. — The village suppty of Stockton Springs is taken from 
Halfmoon Pond. The railroad has a well at the '^Y, " one well 
(hrectly east of the village, and two wells at Cape Jellison. These 
wells range in depth from 158 to 247 feet and yield from 10 to 200 
gallons a minute. Of the wells at Cape Jellison one was drilled 158 
feet, giving 12 gallons a minute, but the supply decreased; the other 
was sunk to 225 feet, and at that depth gave 200 gallons a minute. 
These wells are pumped by steam and electric pumps. Two analyses 
of water are giA^en in the table (Nos. 112, 127). In both wells there 
is much iron, due to the rusting of the pipes, but the water is good. 
It is excellent for drinking, but some scale forms in boilers. There 
are several other drilled wells at Stockton Springs. 

Prospect. — In the eastern part of the town of Prospect the Switzer 
Spring is situated. All wells in the town are shallow and none is 
known to have been drilled. 

Frankfort. — Most of the wells in Frankfort are dug wells, but one 
or more drilled wells are reported. The water in the eastern part of 
town is mostly granite water; that in the western part is largely slate 
w^ater. The wells in the western section will probably be somewhat 
the more successful. 

Winterport. — Winterport has a public supply from West Branch 
of Lowes Brook. There are no drilled wells in the eastern part of 
the village, but in the western part there are several, the conditions 
for water being better in that section. The supplies are obtained in 
slate similar to that at Bangor. 

Monroe. — At least one drilled well is situated in the town of Mon- 
roe. This is a 7-inch well 61 feet deep. The water contains some 
iron, but is used for domestic purposes and for stock. 

Jackson. — Several drilled wells in Jackson are between 45 and 65 
feet in depth. One of them is a 9-inch well. The water from all of 
them is used for domestic purposes and for stock. 

Brooks. — The public supply of Brooks is taken from two springs 
in the village. A few people use dug wells, some of which have caused 
sickness in the past. There are a number of drilled wells in town, 
but no information regarding them is at hand. There ought to be 
plenty of water in slate at this place. 

Thorndike. — Wells have been sunk in the town of Thorndike, but 
no data have been received regarding them. The conditions ought 
to be as good as in other towns in the vicinity which derive their 
water from the slate formation. 



WALDO COUiv^TY. 215 

Troy. — In Troy most wells are blasted and drilled in rock. The 
depth ranges from 20 to 70 feet, and plenty of water is obtained for 
domestic and farm purposes. Most of the w^ells are of the ordinary 
size, but in 1876 one 8-inch well was sunk. Conditions in this vicinity 
are probably good. 

Isleshoro. — Drilled wells are practically the only kind used in 
southern Islesboro, and the island contains more of tTiese than any 
other town in Maine. It is occupied as a summer resort by many 
wealthy people, who can afford the best type of wells, and more than 
40 have been drilled. The depths range from 60 to 398 feet, the 
common depth being 60 to 120 feet. There is generally plenty of 
water, and some wells report more than 15 gallons a minute. The 
149-foot well of the Islesboro Land and Improvement Company 
supplies a large summer hotel and sometimes 10 cottages, the yield 
being 8 gallons a minute. Only two or three failures are reported. 
The majority of wells lie south of Dark Harbor, but a few are situ- 
ated farther north. There are several drilled wells at North Islesboro. 

In quality the water of the Islesboro deep wells is uniforml}^ good. 
It varies, however, from hard to soft. One analysis reports total solids 
as high as 145 parts per million and a hardness of 86. The chlorine 
in three other wells varies from 7 to 33, and the carbonates, where 
determined, run between 85 and 127 parts. There is generally a trace 
of sulphate, but no iron. (See analyses Nos. 113 to 116.) 

The predominating rocks on Islesboro are a series of volcanic rocks 
and interstratified slates, tuffs, etc. There are, how^ever, a few nar- 
row bands of limestone extending in a general north-northeast direc- 
tion, and just west of Meadow Pond in North Islesboro is a small 
patch of quartzite. Several small areas of greenstone are found in 
the southern part of the main island and on some of the smaller 
islands of the town. The limestone is probably responsible for the 
hard water which is sometimes reported. The drift on the island is 
generally ver}^ thin, but where it is thick enough some dug wells are 
used. The water in these is likely to be softer than in the drilled 
wells. Some of the dug wells can not be pumped dry. The drilled 
wells are, however, always best for drinking. One drilled well enters 
a hard, granitic-looking rock at 20 feet from the surface. This is 
called ^'granite" locally, but is probably only a more metamorpliic 
portion of sandy slate. 

Well drillers repoil that 75 per cent of the water on Islesboro is 
found on the western side of the ridge. A popular belief on the 
island is that the deep-well supplies come from the mountains on 
the mainland. This is not impossible, but calculation based on the 
amount of rain water falling annually on Islesboro, and an estimate 
of the amount which is probably absorbed by the surface deposits. 



216 C^DEHGKOU>'D WATEKS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

show that there is plent}^ of water to supply all the dug wells ^Wthout 
having to postulate such a distant source. 

A well on Bevidges Point obtained salt water at a depth of 220 
feet. This well was filled with Portland cement to a depth of about 
200 feet, and now the water is excellent. Mr. Edwin Bevidge, on 
the same point, also obtained salt water, but it was not salty enough 
to injure the well for domestic purposes. 

SPRINGS. 

General statement. — Springs are very numerous in Waldo County, 
and some are used for domestic supplies. At the town of Brooks 
the public supply is derived from springs, and in Searsport spring 
water has been used in the past for public supply. The principal 
commercial springs of the county are the Switzer Spring, in Prospect, 
and the Thorndike Mineral Spring, in Thorndike. 

Switzer Spring. — The Switzer Spring, owned by the Switzer Water 
Compan}^, of Bangor, is situated in the town of Prospect, half a mile 
northwest of Prospect Ferry. The water comes from a fissure in 
granite and flows through about 20 feet of gravel, from which it issues 
in a good-sized stream. The ^aeld is reported in the company's circu- 
lar as 150 gallons a minute. The flow is reported to be constant, and 
pumping by a \^'indmill does not lower it. The temperature is 
reported as 44°. 

The Switzer Spring water is mostly carbonated and used for soft 
drinks, but a small amount is bottled and shipped as spring w^ater. 
The water is pumped to the bottling house 100 feet away. Some of 
the residences in the ^dcinit}' use this spring water for drinking. 

Tliorndike Mineral Spring. — Three miles east of Thorndike post- 
office is the Thorndike Mineral Spring, owned by Mr. Ross C. Hlggins. 
The water seeps out of a hillside ^^'ith a volume estimated by the owner 
as a orallon a minute. The water is very clear, but has a strong odor 
and taste of sulphur. It does not carry any sediment. A white 
sulphurous deposit is said to be formed on rocks above the spring. 
The water is used for drinking and for mechcinal purposes and is sold. 
No analysis is reported. 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

General statement. — Several villages and towns in Waldo Count}' 
have public water supphes. Of these Belfast, Searsport, and Winter- 
port use water from surface surfaces. Brooks and Searsmont have 
spring supplies, and Northport Camp Ground has a supply fi'om a 
deep drilled well and a spring. 

BrooJis. — The village of Brooks has been supphed since 1900 by the 
Ames Spring and the Ginn Spring, which flow by gravity into a 
10,000-gallon tank. The system is owned by the Consolidated Water 
Company of New Hampshire. The Ames Spring is about 75 feet and 



WALDO COUNTY., 217 

the Ginn Spring 125 feet above the tank. Forty- three famiUes and 
business houses, constituting about three-fourths of the village, are 
supplied, and about 5,000 gallons of water are used daily. The town 
has 2 miles of 3-inch and 1-inch mains. The Ginn Spring is the larger 
of the two springs, varying in flow from 3 to 6 gallons a minute. The 
Ames Spring may flow 1 gallon a minute. There is plenty of water for 
aU present needs. A sanitary analysis made in 1903 shows the water 
to contain 150 parts per million of total solids and to have a hardness 
of 1 13. The chlorine was normal, and nitrites and nitrates were absent. 

Searsmont. — The water supply of the village of Searsmont has for 
over fifteen years consisted of a gravity system from a spring owned 
by D. B. Cobb & Son. The spring issues from bowlder clay in an open 
field. In use it gives a head which will raise the water 100 feet above 
the center of the village. The mains consist of about half a mile of 
2-inch iron pipes. Ten famihes, or about half the callage, use the 
water. The amount is more than sufficient for all immediate needs. 
The quality of the water appears to be first class, but it contains a 
little iron. There is a barn about 300 feet distant, along the hillside, 
but no trouble has been experienced with the water. As a precaution 
it would seem desirable to change to a spring higher on the hill. The 
boggy nature of the surface indicates that a spring could be obtained 
higher up. 

Northport Camp Ground. — The village of East Northport, or North- 
port Camp Ground, has for nearly twenty years been supplied by 
gravity from a well and a spring owned by the Moimtain Spring 
Water Company. The spring, situated 2| miles back on the mountain, 
is used the year round, and the well situated on the hill above the 
village is used as an additional supply during two months of the 
summer season. The well was first drilled to a depth of 95 feet, but 
it could be pumped dry, so drilHng was continued. The rock is 
supposed to be schist, struck at 50 feet from the surface. At about 
150 feet the drill dropped 18 inches and all the water was lost. The 
well was deepened to 168 feet and the water can now be lowered 30 
feet by pumping. It has been pumped seventeen hours Avith no signs 
of exhaustion. There are about 200 takers and 500 taps, making 
about 95 per cent of the summer population who use the public 
supply. The village has no fire hydrants. In the height of the 
season 20,000 gallons of water are used in twenty-four hours. The 
mains are reported to be 12 miles in length. They are 6 inches and 2 
inches in size. 

PREDICTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The improvement of the waterworks belonging to the town of Belfast 
is important. The village now obtains its supply from a rather poor 
reservoir near the mouth of Little River. The water has a thsagree- 
able fishy odor and its use is at times very unpleasant. It is not 



218 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

supposed to be detrimental to the public health, and in spite of its 
poor taste it is beheved to be bettor than the water taken from dug 
wells in the heart of the Yilla2:e. In order to give entire satisfaction, 
however, the supply should be improved. 

It is suggested that if a reservoir were built higher up on the same 
stream, and if care were taken to remove deca^^no: veofetable matter 
and other organic materials from the reservoir and banks, the present 
trouble might be avoided. It is also possible that treatment with a 
minute quantity of copper sulphate, by a competent engineer, might 
improve the condition of the water. 

Another recommendation to be made in respect to Waldo County is 
that a larger number of drilled wells be sunk. Many dug wells that 
do not give proper satisfaction might be replaced by drilled wells wdth 
probably good results, as the slates of Waldo County seem to contain 
plenty of water. 

SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY, 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

Washington County lies in the southeastern part of Maine, being 
bounded on the east by New Bruns^vick and on the south by the 
ocean. The length of this county is about 90 miles and its maxi- 
mum breadth about 60 miles. The total area is 2,456 square miles, 
and the population according to the census of 1900 was 45,232. 
The largest city is Calais, Avdth a population of 7,655, and the next 
largest is Eastport, which contains 5,311 inliabitants. 

Washington County may be conveniently subdivided into three 
sections. The southernmost is a narrow strip along the coast, which 
contains a few small cities and towns. The central section, covering 
by far the greater part of the count}^, is an uninhabited ^\dlderness. 
A few miles of the northern part of the county, near the Maine 
Central Railroad, also is somewhat settled and contains many farms. 
The area described includes the coast section and about half the 
wilderness section. The only railroad in the region covered by the 
report is the Washington County Railway, which crosses within a 
few miles of the coast, from Ellsworth, in Hancock County, to Calais 
and Eastport, on the eastern boundary of Washington County. 
Calais lies somewhat outside the area of this report as defined in the 
introduction, but it is included here in order to make a unit in dis- 
cussion of the southern section of Washington County. PI. XXIII 
is a map of southern Washington County shomng the distribution 
of deep wells, important springs, and communities having public 
supplies. 

This county is unusually well supplied with surface water, the 
principal rivers being the St. Croix, dividing Maine from New Bruns- 
wick, the Machias or Kowahskiscook, Pleasant River, and Narra- 



U. S. GEOLO 




ee^?^ 



Chern 



1 
c 



Showing 



u. 8. aeoLOOiCAL survey 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE XXm 




• Sacoasaful well over 90 fMt Id depth 
O Unanrcemf ul well over 20 feet In depth 
-^ FloivluKWell 
•^ ImiiurtAnt spring 
^ Cuiuniuiilty havlns public supply fnun surface 

I I Coniuiuiilty having public supply from spring* 

MAP OF SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY. 
Showing distribution of deep welts, important springs. »nd communities having public water supplies. 



SOUTHEKN WASHINGTON COUNTY. 219 

guagus River. Throughout the wilderness there are abundant 
lakes, some of them 5 to 10 miles in length. The county is fairly 
hilly away from the coast, but not so rough as the adjacent part of 
Hancock County. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATION TO ROCKS AND SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

Distribution of rock types. — Probabl}' one-third of the area con- 
sidered in this county is underlain by granite. A band of this rock 
which has a wddth of 10 to 20 miles extends from the southwest 
corner of the county, in the vicinity of Millbridge, northeastward to 
the vicinity of Calais. Another granite area extends from Hancock 
County across the boundary a short distance into Washington 
County. The areas mapped as granite in Washington County 
include small areas of diorite, a rock somewhat similar to granite, 
but darker and more basic. 

Between the two principal granite areas, occupying most of the 
region north of the Washington County Railway, between Cherry- 
field and Addison, is a large slate area. The region lying southeast 
of the railway, between Machias and Pembroke, consists to a large 
extent of slate, but includes also some volcanic rocks. Probably 
the most extensive of these lie in the extreme southeastern part of 
the State. Some umnetamorphosed siliceous shales occur in the 
southeastern portion of the county. 

In the towns of Perry and Robbinston is an area known as the 
Perry Basin, which is composed of rocks of different t^^pes from 
those found elsewhere in Maine. These are mostly conglomerates, 
sandstones, and some lavas. The sedimentary rocks here contain 
fossils, and by these their age is known to be Devonian. 

Surface deposits. — The surface deposits of Washington County 
differ greatly in character. In many parts of the county there are 
areas of several square miles which are made up almost entirelj^ of 
plains and undulating deposits of gravel and sand, m places 100 
feet or more in thickness. One of these areas, situated in the towni 
of Columbia and vicinity, consists of a flat plain 250 feet above the 
sea and several miles in length. Underneath the gravel deposits 
and covering a large portion of the bed rock of the county is a thm 
coating of till. Small areas along the coast and near the mouth of 
the principal streams consist of clay. 

WELLS. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

On account of the great abundance of good spring water in Wash- 
ington County the proportion of wells is not great. Throughout 
the country districts the use of springs is probably fully as extensive 



220 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

as that of dug wells. The known drilled wells exceeding 40 feet in 
depth number only 12. These are mostly situated in the extreme 
east corner of the county, but there is one drilled well on Roque 
Island and one at Jonesport. Three deep" driven wells have been 
sunk at Columbia Falls. 

Little is known of the quality of well water in Washington County. 
Two laboratory analyses (Nos. 158 and 191), however, are reported, 
and several field assays (Nos. 190, 192, 193, 157, and 159) have been 
made. Wells in sand and gravel were found to be low in mineral 
matter, but those in greenstone were high. For anatyses of granite 
waters persons interested are referred to page 77, where they appear 
in connection with the descriptions of other counties. The table 
also contains several analyses and field assays of springs (Nos. 275 
to 284), some of which are of great mineral purity. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

Calais. — The city of Calais has taken its public supply from St. 
Croix River. The water was poor, however, and it has recently 
been abandoned for a spring suppty brought from St. Stephens, New 
Brunswick. The wells in the city are mostly shallow. Several 
drilled wells are not used. There is no reason, however, why plenty 
of good water may not be obtamable by drilled wells in that region, 
as good wells have been obtained in the same granite rocks across 
the river. 

In the country districts of Calais springs are largely used. These 
generally emerge from till or sand; one spring, however, was seen 
issuing from a crack in diorite. Some wells in towTi are sunk in clay. 
The water in these is generally poor. In the vicinit}^ of Red Beach 
there are many granite quarries. No water was seen in them, but 
its absence was probably due to the small amount of soil on the hills 
where the quarries are situated, as granite generally contains water. 
The only reports of the composition of water in Calais are given by a 
laboratory analysis and a field assay of water from a 44-foot bored 
well in sand and gravel (Nos. 190 and 191). 

Kastport. — Eastport is underlain largely by basic volcanic rocks 
which were originally lava flows. The city obtains its public w^ater 
supply from Boydens Lake, in the town of Perry. The one drilled 
well in towTi is owned by the Seacoast Canning Company. It is 408 
feet in depth, drilled in the bottom of an old quarry in the basic lavas. 
The rock is very hard for a depth of 250 feet, and several drills w^ere 
broken, but below that depth the formation is softer. Most of the 
water was obtained at 345 feet, but small amounts were found at 
other levels. At times the water overflows the bottom of the quarry. 
The water was lowered 28 feet when pumped with an ordinary steam 
pump, and the amount was found to be too small for use. In 1906 



SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY. 221 

pipes were run down 225 feet and a deep-well pump was installed. 
An attempt was made to use a force pump, but the rock was found to 
have been so broken up by blasting in the quarry that the water was 
forced by the pump into the fissures of the rock instead of out of the 
mouth of the well. In a test with a S^-horsepower gas engine the 
water was lowered 75 feet and 60 gallons a minute were obtained, but 
it is not believed that the well would vield that amount b v con- 
tinuous pumping. An analysis of this water given in the table (No. 
158) shows 413 parts of total solids, 48 parts of silica, and 71 parts of 
sulphates. This analysis is interesting, as it is the only one availa,ble 
of water from greenstone in Maine. 

A large part of the peninsula of Eastport is bare rock, but there is 
some clay and gravel. A section of a dug well on the outskirts of the 
city is as follows: Soil, 3 feet; gravel, 5 feet; blue clay, 20 feet. 

Some wells situated 50 to 80 feet above tide on the borders of the 
village obtam plenty of water below the bed of clay. Several of 
these were abandoned because they contained salt water. At a time 
when it was desired to supply the city by underground water a 40-foot 
test well was driven for the waterworks. This well flows at the sur- 
face and is used by farmers in the vicinity. The water is somewhat 
salty. 

Lubec. — Lubec has an excellent water supply from springs situated 
west of the village. This system is described on pages 224-225. In 
the village of Lubec there are three drilled wells, and at North Lubec 
there are three more. The latter were driUed for the Seacoast Can- 
ning Company and are used and pumped by a wdndmill. In Lubec a 
well 100 feet deep was sunk for a hotel owned by Mr. W. J. Mahlman. 
Water was obtained at 96 feet and was pumped by a windmill. It 
was good water, but as only 8 gallons a minute were obtained the well 
was abandoned when the city water was installed. The well of the 
Lubec Sardine Company was drilled 165 feet and scarcely any water 
was found. 

The rocks at Lubec are slates intruded and metamorphosed by 
large masses of gabbro. West of the peninsula the drift is generally 
thick and there is some clay. The field assay of one 30-foot well in 
clay is given in the table (No. 166). 

Perry. — All wells in the towm of Perry are open wells. In most of 
those which are sunk in clay the water is ''brackish." The town is 
reported to be abundantly supplied with springs which issue from 
volcanic rock, sandstone, and clay. The flow is reported as much as 
20 gallons a minute in wet weather and a little less in dry weather. A 
single field assay of water from a dug well is given in the table (No. 
202). 

Pemhroke. — The general depth of wells in Pembroke is 5 to 30 feet. 
They are all open wells and are mostly dug in till and gravel. 



222 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Machias. — The town of Machias uses Machias River water. There 
are few wells in the towii, and all are open wells. Some of the 
shallower ones penetrate clay and obtain water in gravel at an average 
depth of about 20 feet. Many families near the village use spring 
supplies. Some of the springs flow as much as 5 gallons a minute. 

MarslijieM. — There are no drilled wells in the town of Marshfield, 
and water is obtained from dug wells and springs. An analysis has 
been made of one 21 -foot well wliich penetrates clay and enters gravel. 
Most of the wells run low or dry up in summer. Some persons haul 
water by hand from near-by springs. 

WJiitneyville. — The wells in Whitney ville are not more than 20 feet 
in depth. Some are in gravel and some in clay, and several rest on 
rock. The wells run drv durino^ the summer and the o^^^lers haul 
water to their houses. At a few houses springs are used. 

Joneshoro. — All wells in the town of Jonesboro are dug. One well 
is situated 50 feet from a granite ledge and is dug 7 feet in bowlder 
clay. This well overflows the surface. A field assay is given in the 
table (No. 174). One of the interesting features at Jonesboro is the 
granite water which seeps out of the horizontal joints, as sho^\Ti in 
PL III, A. This illustration shows that there is plenty of water 
in granite at this place. A single field assay (No. 174) of water in 
bowlder clay has been made. 

MacJiiasport. — The wells of ]\Iachiasport are mostty dug wells, 30 
to 40 feet in depth, in sand and gravel. There are some springs in the 
to^vTL. The sardine factory obtains its water from a reservoir sup- 
plied by springs. 

Jonesport. — Most of the inhabitants of Jonesport use shallow wells 
and springs. One dug well near the shore is reported to rise and fall 
^\-ith the tide, but the water is fresh. The well of the Seacoast Can- 
ning Company is 384 feet deep, in diorite. The water is used for 
drinking and the yield is reported to be 2§ gallons a minute. It is 
called hard water. A field assay of this water is appended (No. 159). 

On Roque Island the water is said to occur at the contact between 
the volcanic rocks and the underlying sedimentaries. The well of 
Mr. George A. Gardner is pumped by a gasoline engine and gives 
enough- water for domestic purposes. It can be pumped dry in 
twenty minutes, but will fill again in about the same length of time. 

Addison. — The village of AdcUson Point has a public supply from 
springs which are described under the heading "^Public supplies;" 
otherwise, the inhabitants use only dug wells and springs. One well, 
21 feet in depth, penetrated two beds of clay and obtained water in 
gravel. The Addison Llineral Spring is situated 2 miles southeast of 
Addisonport. 

Columbia Falls. — About half the houses in Columbia Falls are sup- 
phed by two springs. The water system is described under the head- 



SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY. 223 

ing ''Public supplies." The rest of the inhabitants use dug and 
driven wells. At Logie's canning factory there is a driven well 72 
feet in depth, in which the formation consists entirely of sand. Three 
gallons a minute are obtained near the bottom of the well. Several 
other deep driven wells are reported in the town. These generally 
go through the clay into underlying gravel. 

Harrington. — The village of Harrington is supplied by two spring 
systems, one of which is situated one-haK mile northeast of the village 
and the other 2 miles west of the village, in the town of Columbia. 
These systems are fully described under the appropriate heading 
(pp. 225-226). A large part of the town consists of clay. The wells 
are mostly dug, but some are driven. Many of them go through 25 to 
30 feet of clay and enter gravel. 

MilTbridge. — Millbridge has a public supply from springs situated 
in the hills a mile west of the town. These springs are fully described 
on pages 226-227. There are a few wells in the village, but these 
are mostly abandoned, as they enter a clay bed 35 to 40 feet in depth, 
in which poor water is found. One well was dug 40 feet and entered 
a layer of ''flats mud" and is now brackish. People who do not use 
the aqueduct water get their supply from cisterns. There are no 
drilled wells in the town. The field assay of a shallow bored well in 
gravel is given in the table (No. 193). 

Cherryfield. — The village of Cherryfield obtains water from springs 
by several small aqueduct systems. These are described more fully 
under "Public supplies." Some springs supply only two or three 
families. A few persons have cisterns. There are a number of wells 
10 to 40 feet deep in gravel. The water of the wells and springs is 
good and is never exhausted. 

Columhia. — The town of Columbia has few inhabitants and nearly 
everybody uses water from dug wells and cisterns. In the northern 
part of the to^Mi is a flat plain known as Pineo Ridge, or Blueberry 
Barrens, standing at an elevation of 250 feet above the sea and hav- 
ing a steep northern slope and deep ravines on its southern slope. 
These ravines contain many springs of excellent water. The public 
supply of the town of Harrington comes from springs situated in a 
swampy depression on a sandy slope in the southwest corner of 
Columbia. 

SPRINGS. 

General statement. — Springs are very abundant in Washington 
County. The}^ are used by a large proportion of the inhabitants of 
the country districts for drinking purposes, and are also used by many 
communities for public supplies. The towns of Lubec, Harrington, 
Millbridge, Addison Point, Calais, Columbia Falls, and Cherryfield all 
have excellent water supplies from springs. There is at least one 
commercial mineral spring in the county. 



224 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Addison Mineral Spring. — Atldisoii ^lineral Spring, owned by the 
Addison Mineral Spring Company, is situated in the to^^'n of Addison, 
about 4 miles from Columbia station on the Washington County Rail- 
way. The spring has been kno\\Ti for a great many years. It was 
bought by White & Nash about twenty-five years ago, and the water 
was shipped for a time in barrels. Steps are now being taken to 
shut out the surface water and otherwise improve the spring, A con- 
crete reservoir 12 feet in diameter and 6 feet in depth has been con- 
structed, in the center of which is the spring. The resers^oir generally 
contains about 3^ feet of water. The owners report the flow to be 
about a barrel a minute. It bubbles up through coarse gravel over- 
lain by about 4 feet of clay. The rmi-off contains a considerable 
deposit of iron. 

The composition of the water is given in the table (Nos. 275 and 
276). It ^^'ill be seen that the total solids are 139 parts per million, 
which is high for a Maine spring water. The water is also said to 
contain gases, •^principally nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, 
with a little hydrogen sulphide." A sanitary analysis in 1906 showed 
it to be suitable for drinking. 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

General statement. — Notwithstanding the fact that the villages in 
Washington Coim.ty are mostly smaU, several of them have ^visely 
established public water supplies from the best sources. Machias has 
a supply from Machias River. Eastport obtains water from Boydens 
Pond. Calais formerly used St. Croix River water, but this was poor 
and recently a supply has been installed from St. Stevens, New Bruns- 
wick, which seems to' be excellent. With these exceptions all the 
to^\Tis having public supplies obtain their water from pure springs 
issuing from sand and gravel deposits. The commimities having 
such supplies are Lubec, Harrington, ^lillbridge, Addison Point, 
Columbia Falls, and Cherryfield. 

Luhec. — The village of Lubec o^vns a system of waterworks piped 
from a spring situated in drift deposits about 2 miles west of the 
village. The spring issues from the side of a clay plain, but there is 
probably gravel and sand underneath. The surface behind the spring 
is composed of bowlder clay and is covered by large bowlders. The 
rock is said to lie 6 feet below the surface. There are no houses 
witliin a distance of more than 1,000 yards back on the liill, and there 
is no chance of the spring becoming contaminated by surface drainage. 

Originally this spring was in private o\vnership, but five years ago 
it was bought by the town at a cost of $800, which included a little 
land about it. Tliis whole hillside appears to be honeycombed \\'ith 
springs, and the water bubbling up out of the sand is veiy pure and 
clear and of excellent qualit}'. A small shed has been built over the 



SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY. 225 

spring. The flow is reported to be 100 gallons a minute, and an old 
resident says it has not diminished in volume during liis lifetime. An 
analysis of the water showed 102 parts per milHon of total solids, the 
various constituents of which are reported in No. 282 of the appended 
table. From the spring the water flows by gravity to a 500,000- 
gallon reservoir dug in stony bowlder clay a few hundred feet distant. 
From here it is pumped to the village under a pressure of 25 to 45 
pounds. 

Harrington. — The village of Harrington is supplied by two private 
companies taking water from springs. The larger one of the two 
companies is the Quantabacook Water Company, which draws by 
gravity from a spring situated about 2 miles northwest of the village. 
This S3"stem is owned by several prominent citizens of the town and 
supplies about 60 families. The waterworks date back to the year 
1861, thus being one of the oldest water systems in Maine. In that 
3'ear wooden pipes were run- to town, and some of the original pipes 
are still in use. In clay their condition deteriorates very little. In 
gravel, however, it has been necessary to change to iron. The wooden 
pipes consist of two half logs, put together side by side, with a 2-inch 
hole bored in the center. 

In exact geologic occurrence the water bubbles up out of the sand 
in a swamp situated near the base of a long, gentle slope of sand 
and gravel probably underlain by clay. A stick 15 feet long was 
thrust down into the spring and did not reach the bottom. There 
are no houses in the vicinity, and the water may be said to be per- 
fectly safe as regards sanitary quality. It is clear and has a fine 
taste and a measured temperature of only 44°. The flow does not 
vaiy wdth the season. The spring is covered mth a small spring 
house. A fair-sized brook is formed and much more water runs 
away than can be used. At present about 300 persons are supposed 
to use the water, and it is said that four times as many people could 
be supphed. The rates are $8 for a family, "without restrictions. 
The spring is situated 60 feet above the village and therefore gives a 
good pressure. The head is said to have diminished somewhat 
owing to the rotting of the wooden pipes. A field assay is given in 
analysis No. 278. 

The eastern half of the village of Harrington is supplied from a 
spring situated in sand and gravel deposits about one-half mile 
northeast of town and not far from the railroad. It is owned by 
various members of the Nash family. The surroundings are thickly 
wooded and the water bubbles up similarly to that of the spring 
owned by the Quantabacook Company. It is supposed to issue 
from sand near the top of the underl^ang clay. Although the soil 
is so thick that the spring can not be seen, the water constantly over- 

59969— IRR 223—09 15 



226 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

flows and runs oft' in the form of a small brook. The water is ex- 
cellent, is very clear, and has a temperature of 42°. A small spring 
house is built over the spring. 

This company has about 40 takers on its lines. It has no charter, 
but is a rather old compan}^ and still uses wooden pipes. The suppl}^ 
is not as large as that of the Quantabacook Water Company, but there 
is plenty for all who use it, and the spring is so situated, in the woods 
and far from any houses, that there is absolutely no danger of its 
becoming contaminated. The water of this company is similar in 
quality to that of the Quantabacook Company, being very low in 
mineral and organic matter. It is said that since these water sys- 
tems have been installed no case of typhoid fever or diphtheria has 
originated ^\dtliin the limits of the village. 

MiUhridge. — The village of Millbridge is supplied by the Millbridge 
Water Company, which takes water from a spring and a bored well 
situated in the woods about a mile west of the village. The com- 
pany was chartered in 1895 and the system was started in 1896. 
The Millbridge Water Company bought out the old wooden aqueduct 
company which had been in existence for ten or twelve je2ivs and had 
run a small plant accommodating from 30 to 40 houses. 

The spring and the well are situated on the eastern side of a gentle 
bowlder-clay slope which is believed to be underlain by gravel. 
There are no houses wdtliin a distance of three-quarters of a mile, 
and the water can be said to be absolutely safe from contaminating 
influences. The water from the spring is piped to town. The well, 
however, situated near by, is fitted wdth a windmill and a kerosene 
engine, wliich are used in case of drought. The well was dug in 1898, 
at a time when the spring was rather low. When the wind blows in 
summer the well water enters the mains and is mixed with spring 
water. In winter the well is never used. The well passes through 
16 feet of till and enters gravel. It is reported that when it pene- 
trated the clay into underhung gravel the water gushed up 12 feet 
into the air. When not used it now overflows in a small stream. 
It is curbed with ordinary glazed sewer pipe. The water of this well 
can be lowered wdthin 4 feet of the bottom by pumping, but no lower. 

There seems to be plent}^ of water at this place, but if it ever is 
exhausted it will be a very simple matter to dig out other holes such 
as the well above mentioned. According to surveys made b}^ the 
company the spring is situated 69 feet above the drawbridge across 
Narraguagus River at Millbridge. The well is 38 feet below the level 
of the spring and is only 17 feet in depth. The pump at the well 
carries the water to a reservoir 50 by 30 feet in size situated near the 
spring. The pressure is 48 pounds. The owners report that there 
is no detectable difference in quality between the water taken from 



SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY. 227 

the spring and that taken from the well. Both are fine, clear water 
with little or no taste. The results of field assays are appended (Nos. 
193 and 283). The water mains of the Millbridge Water Company 
are 6 inches in diameter. The wooden pipes used for years were 
abandoned and now iron pipe is used. 

About 120 water takers are said to be on the lines, including the 
mills and sardine factories. Probabl}^ about 600 people use the 
water. Nine-tenths of the houses on the south side of the river use 
it, but none on the north side. The rates are $10 to a famih^ for a 
single service, with no restrictions as to the use of the water. 

Cherryfield. — Cherryfield is supphed in part by water from the 
West Side Aqueduct and the East Side Aqueduct companies, the 
water being taken from two springs situated a short distance from 
the village. The water issues from gravel about 100 feet above the 
village. The people who do not use these supplies generally have 
private aqueducts running to springs in the hillsides. A few, how- 
ever, use dug wells 10 to 40 feet in depth. All this water is found in 
gravel below clay. The principal system was installed in 1875. The 
aqueduct companies use wooden logs for piping. These are said to 
have rotted out in gravel, but answer the purpose very well in clay. 
The springs are said to yield plent}^ of water during the ^nnter, but 
sometimes they are low during the summer. 

Addison Point. — The village of Addison Point is supphed by the 
Addison Point Aqueduct Company, which has a spring in sand 7 
miles from the village and distributes the water by direct pressure 
through logs. The head is about 60 feet. 

PREDICTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

On account of the sparse population of Washington Count}^ few 
recommendations are necessary. iUl the public water supplies seem 
to be of excellent quality, and their use is recommended above that 
of ordinary well water. In few places does it seem necessary or 
advisable to spend money in drilling deep below the surface. In com- 
munities where well water is scarce and people desire to save water 
bills drilling may perhaps be done to advantage, as it has been done 
by several of the canning companies ; and when the islands along the 
coast come to be used more extensively as summer resorts it is prob- 
able that deep wells will be needed in order to obtain sufficient 
supply. Deep-well water can be obtained nearty everj^vhere. In 
some of the volcanic areas, however, as at Lubec and Eastport, the 
quality and amount will be rather uncertain. The poorest water 
supply is that of Eastport, and the sanitary conditions in tliis town 
might be much improved. 



228 UKDERGEOUND WATEES OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

YORK COUNTY. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

York County is the extreme southwestern county of Maine, border- 
ing on the ocean and on the State of New Hampshire. Its greatest 
length is 50 miles from north to south and its breadth is 30 miles. 
The total area is 957 square miles, and the population according to 
the census of 1900 was 64,885. The largest city is Biddeford, con- 
taining 17,165 inhabitants; Saco had 6,122 and Sanford 6,078. The 
principal rivers are the Piscataqua, separating Maine from New Hamp- 
shire, and Saco River, which lies in the eastern part of the county. 

The principal transportation lines are the Eastern, Western, and 
Portland and Rochester chvisions of the Boston and Maine Railroad, 
wliich cross the county from northeast to southwest, and the York 
Harbor and Beach Railroad, which connects Portsmouth, X. H., 
with York Beach. In topography the county is very diversified, 
ranging in altitude from sea level to about 1,300 feet. The coast is 
in many places very rocky, but it also contains a number of beaches 
which are among the finest in the country and are used extensively 
for summer resorts. A map of York County sho\\'ing the distribution 
of deep wells, important springs, and pubUc supplies forms PL XXIY. 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
RELATIOX TO ROCKS AXD SURFACE DEPOSITS. 

Distriiution of rock types. — The rocks of York County consist 
chiefly of slate and granite. They are rather irregularly distributed, 
but in general the granite can be said to occupy a belt from 5 to 10 
miles in A^dth, extending southward fi^om Limington and Hollis to 
the ^dcinity of Alfred and L}Tnan, where it splits into two belts, one 
of which reaches the coast in the to^^Ti of Kennebunkport and the 
other extends as far south as South Ber^^Tck and northern York. 
Outside the granite area the rock is generally slate and schist, which 
range in character from a rather fissile shaly rock to a hard, dense 
black slate which is in many places considerably metamorphosed. 
Much of the rock mapped as slate is in reality schist or c^uartzite. 
Both the slate and the granite are cut by a large number of trap dikes. 

The prevailing direction of the strike of the slate is from X. 60° to 
80° E., and the dip is generally 75° XW. or SE. to Vertical. In only 
a few locahties are the dips low. In places the strata are much con- 
torted. The old metamorphic rocks are cut by numerous dikes of 
basic igneous rock generally kno\\TL as trap. 

All the rocks of York County are very much jointed, but the joint 
systems are not so definite and regular as in other parts of Maine. 
An interesting illustration of the way in which water may enter rock 
and be held in the fissures is given in PI. V, A. In tliis locality the 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 223 PLATE XXIV 






I L 



10 



15 



20 MILES 



• Successful well over 50 feet in depth 

O Unsuccessful well over 50 feet in depth 
-^ Flowing Avell 
«^^ Important spring 

+ Community having public supply from surface sources 
C^ Community having public supply from wells 

• Other important towns 

MAP OF YORK COUNTY. 

Showing distribution of deep wells, innportant springs, and connnnunities 
having public water supplies. 



YORK COUKTY. 229 

water in the overlying surface deposits will seep slowly downward 
along the cracks parallel ^vith the stratification and bedding of the 
slate. PL VII, A, shows how it may penetrate along vertical joints. 
Surface deposits. — The surface deposits of York County range in 
tliickness from less than 5 feet on some of the hills to more than 100 
feet in places along the coast and in some of the larger valleys. Over 
broad areas on the lowlands there are plains of sand and gravel rising to 
100 or 200 feet above the sea and increasing in elevation inland. 
These are generally underlain unconformabh' by extensive clay deposits, 
which in this county reach a maximum elevation of more than 100 
feet above tide. Generally abundant water is found in the sand 
and gravel on top of the clay, and this may be of good quahty out- 
side the villages. In some places sand and gravel underhe the clay, 
and water in this material can be found by driving or drilling wells 
through the cla}' formation. 

WELLS. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION, 

Types of wells used. — Most of the wells in York County, as else- 
where in Maine, are of the old open type, ranging in depth from 10 
to 50 feet. These are going out of use and are generally not so satis- 
factory as drilled wells. 

Drilled wells. — The drilled wells more than 50 feet in depth are 
about 70 in number. So far as known, the deepest weU in the 
county is that of Mr. E. S. Marshall at York Harbor, which was 
drilled to a depth of 325 feet. There are several wells more than 
200 feet deep. The most common depth at wliich sufficient water 
is found seems to be about 60 feet from the surface, but some wells 
did not reach the principal vein until they had gone do^^^l more than 
200 feet. The head varies greatly. In a few wells the water over- 
flows, but in some others it does not stand witliin 30 feet of the 
surface. 

Quantity of water. — One well at the United States na^^^-yard at 
Kittery reports 15 gallons of water a minute, while a neighboring 
well reports almost no water. The well belonging to. the Boston and 
Maine Railroad at Kennebunk reports 24 gallons a minute. A well 
at Cape Xeddick reports 30 gallons. With these exceptions the 
supply is 10 gallons or less. Many persons are using water for 
domestic supplies when the amount is only about a gallon a minute. 
The water is generally obtained by hand pump or windmill, but a 
few wells in the summer resorts are pumped by hot-air engines. In 
some of the summer resorts many excellent wells have been aban- 
doned in recent years, owing to the installation of satisfactory 
public supplies. Xot more than half a dozen deep wells in the 
county are known to have been entire failures. 



230 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Qualitii of water. — In quality the water runs from very soft to 
slightly hard. A few wells along the coast have been ruined by the 
entrance of salt water. The general quality of slate waters in York 
County may be judged from analyses Nos. 128 to 131. Two of 
these are complete analyses and report 169 and 209 parts per million 
of total solids. A field assay of water in till (Xo. 167), two of water 
in sand and gravel (Xos. 194 and 195), and one of water in trap 
(Xo. 160) have been made. Several analyses of mineral springs are 
reported (Xos. 285 to 290), recalculated from the owners' figures. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS. 

Biddeford. — The city of Biddeford, in conjunction with Saco, has 
a public supph" taken from Saco River. The depth of the few drilled 
wells in Biddeford is about 100 feet, but only a small amount of 
water has been obtained. The water w^as found in granite, but is 
thought inferior in quality to the usual granite water. Several fair 
wells have been abandoned on account of installation of city water. 

Many wells in tliis vicinity are dug to rock and obtain water in 
surface deposits overMng it. A few dug and bored wells in the 
thickly settled portions of the city are 40 feet or more in depth and 
obtain water in gravel underl}dng clay. In one well the water rose 
to the surface and overflowed. A few wells get w^ater at 10 or 15 
feet in sand and gravel. 

At Biddeford Pool and Fortune Rock there are a number of drilled 
wells. At Fortune Rock several summer residents pump water by 
a mndmill from a small pond situated a few feet above tide. This 
pond water is poor and not safe for drinking. 

Saco. — Saco, in conjunction ^\^th Biddeford, obtains its public 
supply from Saco River. A number of bored wells in this city 
obtain water in clay at a depth of 40 to 50 feet, and the supply seems 
to be excellent for domestic purposes. Some wells get water at 10 
or 15 feet in sand and gravel. 

Two or more wells in Saco were drilled in clay to a depth of 55 
to 60 feet and obtain flows from gravel below 50 feet or more of clay. 
Ferrys Beach has good driven wells 10 to 15 feet in depth. Saco 
o\\Tis a well 250 feet deep, wliich supplies water for drinking fountains. 

Old Orchard. — Formerly the public supply of Old Orchard Beach 
was obtained by gravit}^ from Pliillip's spring in Saco. At the 
present time the water of the Saco River is used. 

The wells on Old Orchard Beach are mostly driven and bored in 
sand to an average depth of 15 feet, the deepest being about 40 feet. 
The water is usually good, but it is sometimes brackish. Away 
from the shore drilled wells ought to be successful if sunk into the 
underlying rock. 

Buxton. — In the to\Mi of Buxton several shallow drilled wells 
obtain enough water for domestic use. Xo very deep drilled wells 



YORK COUNTY. 231 

have been sunk. The village of West Buxton is now having a 
public suppl}' installed from Saco River. 

Kennebunkport. — The villages of Kennebunkport, Ocean Bluff, and 
Cape Porpoise are furnished with water by the Mousam Water 
Company, which obtains its supply from Branch Brook, in Kenne- 
bunk. The water is of good quality and for that reason there are 
not many wells in these villages. A few wells from 10 to 40 feet in 
depth obtain water in sand on top of clay. A large part of the 
western part of Kennebunkport consists of a plain of clay sloping 
seaward and overlain and underlain by sand and gravel. Through 
this plain the rock reaches the surface in places. Most of the wells 
are dug. A field assay of water from one well dug in clay at North 
Kennebunkport is given in the table (No. 167). 

In the village of Kennebunkport one drilled well was sunk years 
ago, but is now abandoned and no information regarding it can be 
obtained. At Ocean Bluff a number of wells were drilled years ago 
to depths ranging between 40 and 250 feet. As the public supply 
has now been installed for several years, all wells have been abandoned 
and no reliable information about them is at hand. 

KennehuvJi. — The villages of West Kennebunk, Kennebunk, Kenne- 
bunk Landing, and Kennebunk Beach, all situated in the same to^vn, 
obtain their water supply from the Mousam Water Company, which 
draws it from Branch Brook. Most houses on the line of the aqueduct 
outside of the villages also use the town water. There are only a few 
wells in these villages, and all of these are shallow, being dug or driven 
to depths of 10 to 30 feet. Plenty of water is obtained from them, 
but the supply is probably not so safe for drinking as the city water. 
At Kennebunk Beach a well was once drilled to the depth of 80 feet. 
The dug and driven wells are mostly sunk in sand and gravel, and 
some of them rest on clay. At the Mineral Spring House at Kenne- 
bunk Beach the Kennebunk Beach Mineral Spring is situated. 

^VeUs. — The villages of Wells, Ogunquit, and Wells Beach obtain 
their public supply, like the villages in Kennebunk and Kennebunk- 
port, from the Mousam Water Company, the source being Branch 
Brook. The supply is of good quality. In the village of Wells a few 
dug and driven wells have been sunk, mostly 12 to 15 feet in depth, 
in sand and gravel. At Crescent Beach a spring from sand supplies 
eight cottages. The water is pumped by a windmill to a tank. 

Only one or two wells have been drilled here. In the southern part 
of the town a well w^as once sunk for Mr. A. P. Littlefield and is 
reported 100 feet deep in granite, obtaining water at about 50 feet. 
At Ogunquit two or more wells have been drilled, 60 or 70 feet in 
depth, and obtain several gallons of water a minute. The water of 
the well belonging to the Charles C. Hoyt estate at Ogunquit has been 
analyzed, and the composition is given in the table (No. 131). 



232 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Yorlc. — At York Harbor a well was drilled for the York Harbor 
Hotel to a depth of 150 feet, but the supply was small and the well is 
not much used. At York Beach a well was sunk 60 feet deep in 
granite and obtained a flow which will rise 2 feet above the surface. 
Two other wells at this place are reported to overflow the surface from 
deptlis of 28 and 60 feet. One of these is said to yield 30 gallons a 
minute by pumping. Several other wells in town obtain supplies at 
deptlis of 40 to 90 feet, and the supply is reported to range between 
5 and 10 gallons a minute. The well of Mr. E. S. Marshall, at York 
Harbor is the deepest in York County. It was drilled 325 feet and 
was ^^shot, " but let in sea water, and for that reason was abandoned. 

Several wells drilled in the town of York have met with failure. 
Three of these were situated at Cape Neddick, only a few hundred 
yards from one of the good wells mentioned above. One of these 
failures was drilled to 87 feet, at which depth salt water was en- 
countered, which rose to about sea level. It is worthy of note that 
two of the unsuccessful wells were drilled in the trap rock which makes 
up the greater part of Cape Neddick, and that the third was in schist 
close to the contact with the trap rock, while the successful wells 
were in slate and schist. A detailed description of the water resources 
in the vicinity of York has been given by George Otis Smith. '^ 

Some water is found at York in and underneath a bed of clay which 
forms the surface deposit at many places along York River. A small 
amount seeps out in springs near the bottom of brickj^ards. One 
well in a brickyard near York village is dug 18 feet deep in the bottom 
of a clay pit 8 feet below the surface. The section of this well is as 
follows: Gray clay, 6 feet; stratified blue clay with thin sand part- 
ings, 6 feet; blue clay not stratified, almost quicksand, 6 feet; gravel 
containing water, 10 feet. A field assay of the water taken from this 
well is given in the table (No. 195). 

Kittery. — Several wells have been drilled on Cutts Island, some at 
Kitterj^ Point, and several at the navy-yard. At Kittery Point they 
range from 35 to 60 feet in depth. Mr. Horace Mitchell has five wells 
from 6 to 60 feet in depth, which together supply the Hotel Champer- 
nowne. One of these is drilled 60 feet. The water is pumped from 
the wells to two cisterns, which together hold 40,000 gallons. In the 
best season of the summer 200 or more people are supplied by the five 
wells. The location of two of them is rather poor. It is said that 
water supplies in slate in this vicinity often give out in dry weather. 

The villages of Kittery and Kittery Point are supplied by water 
from Folly Pond. On Cutts Island there are two drilled wells, one in 
slate and one in a trap dike. The slate well, owned by Mr. Roland 
Thaxter, is 75 feet deep; the trap well, belonging to Mr. John Thaxter, 

a Water resources of the Portsmouth- York region, New Hampshire and Maine: Water-Supply 
Paper r. S. Geol. Survey No. 145, 1905, pp. 122-127. 



YORK COUNTY. 233 

is 125 feet. The slate well was ^'shot" twice with 10 pounds of d}Tia- 
mite, but this did not increase the amount of water. The well in 
trap a few hundred feet distant was a failure, although it was "shot" 
four times with 15 pounds of nitroglycerin. Near the same point is 
a well, a few feet deep, blasted in trap in a cellar. A field assay of 
this water is given in the table (No. 160). This well seems to be safe 
from surface drainage, as it is bricked up and cemented to the cement 
floor of the cellar. 

Most of the wells in this to^\Ti obtain only 20 to 50 gallons of water 
an hour. The well on the grounds of the Hotel Pocahontas, on 
Gerrish Island, was drilled in 1895 to a depth of 40 feet, the principal 
source of water being at 39 feet, with other veins at about 30 feet. 
The well is reported to yield only about a gallon a minute. The 
water is raised b}^ a windmill and partly supplies the hotel, although 
there is another source consisting of a natural spring 7 feet above high 
tide. This spring has been excavated in rock to the depth of 8 feet 
and when not pumped overflows through crevices of the rock. 

At the navy-yard a well was drilled to a depth of 200 feet, obtaining 
very little water. A second one was sunk to the same depth mth a 
similar result. The first was then deepened to 300 feet, and 15 
gallons a minute were obtained. 

The most important well in this vicinity is just over the State 
line, at the Hotel Wentworth, on Newcastle Island, in Portsmouth, 
N. H. This well is situated near Forts Constitution and Stark. 
It was drilled some years ago and is supposed to be about 275 feet 
deep. During midsummer the steam pump has been run night and 
day at the rate of 30 gallons a minute for two weeks with no appre- 
ciable diminution of the supply. The water is of excellent quality. 

Eliot. — In the towm of Eliot the wells are all dug. Those in the 
lowlands sunk in clay to moderate depths get a small amount of 
water. It is of irregular occurrence and seems to occupy more or 
less well-defined channels in more sandy strata. At one place a pipe 
was driven 35 feet through clay, and water was not found, showing 
that it can not be depended on with certainty. 

Berwick. — The public supply of Berwick is derived from two wells 
in gravel. At least two other wells are said to have been drilled, 
but are now abandoned on account of the installation of city water. 
A field assay of this water is given in the table (No. 194). 

North Berwick. — In North Berwick one well 125 feet deep, sunk in 
granite, obtains a few gallons of water a minute near the bottom. 
One or two other drilled wells have been sunk, but no information 
regarding them has been obtained. 

Lebanon. — At Center Lebanon a well was sunk fifteen years ago 
to a depth of 50 feet. It yields less than 1 gallon a minute, and con- 
tains some iron. The water is used, however, for domestic purposes. 



234 rXDERGROUXD WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Alfred. — AlfiTcl has no public supply, and the water is obtained 
chiefly fi'om dug and bored wells, mostly 35 to 50 feet in depth. 
Plenty of water can be obtained a few feet from the surface. 
Years ago a drilled well was sunk 140 feet, but for some reason was 
abandoned. There is no reason why drilled wells \vi\\ not succeed 
here. 

Sanford. — The ^'illage of Sanford is supplied with water from a driven 
well and a dug well situated on the flood plain of Mousam River, mid- 
way between that village and Springvale. The supply is satisfactory. 
It is described under the appropriate headmg (pp. 237-238). There 
are no wells in use in Sanford village. Springvale, in the same to^^'n, 
is situated 2 miles from Sanford. and is supplied by Littlefields 
Pond, 1 mile north of the village. The water is called poor and is 
said to have caused typhoid fever, but the pond is situated on the 
liills where there should be little danger of contamination. Many 
dug wells are in use in the village. Formerly there were two small 
water systems here, one obtaining water from springs in sand and 
gravel deposits at the lower end of the village, the other using river 
water. In 1904 the spring company was bought out by the other 
company, and about that time a t^'phoid epidemic broke out, which 
was supposed to have been caused by mixing river water ^^'ith spring 
water. The springs issue from the base of a gravel terrace rising 20 
feet above them, on top of which and several hundred feet distant 
some houses are situated, but the water is not supposed to be polluted. 
The largest spring is reported to flow 45 gallons a minute, and the 
smaller one 30 gallons. The springs are inclosed in small sheds and 
the water is collected in tanks. They are still used by a few tenants 
of the owner. TVells in the to^^ii of Sanford are all shallow. 

SPRINGS. 

General statement. — York "County is well supplied ^\'itll spring 
water. Most of the people in the country districts use wells, but a 
few have springs. Within the county are a considerable number 
of springs the ^vater of which is sold. These are as follows: 

Baker Puritan Spring, Old Orchard. 

Cold Bowlins: Spring, Steep Falls. 

Indian Hermit Mineral Spring, Wells Village. 

Kennebunk Beach Mineral Spring, Kennebunk Beach. 

Okie Yorke Spring, Old Orchard. 

Seal Rock Spring. Saco. 

Wawa Lithia Spring, Ogunquit. 

^^^lite Sand Spring, Springvale. 

Balcer Puritan Spring. — In the tovm. of Old Orchard, about 4 
miles west from Pine Point in Cumberland County, is a spring o^^'ned 
by I. C. Baker & Co. , of Pine Point. It is situated on a high, dry sandy 
plain from which the water seeps out of a very fhie sand. It is color- 



YORK COUNTY. 235 

less, odorless, tasteless, and very soft. It is reported to flow about 2 
gallons a minute, varying slightly in very dry seasons. It is used 
as a medicinal and table water. 

No chemical analysis has been made of this water.* A sanitary 
analysis made in 1895 by H. D. Evans, chemist, reports 2 parts per 
million of chlorine, 0.2 part of oxygen consumed, 8.1 hardness, 3.5 
of soluble organic matter, and 13.5 of residue of evaporation con- 
stituting: the total solids; nitrites and nitrates are said to be absent. 

Cold Bowling Spring. — In the town of Limington, 1 mile south of 
Steep Falls post-ofhce, is a spring oMned by Messrs. George P. and 
Frank Anderson, of Boston. The spring is known as the Cold Bowling 
Spring. The water is reported by the owners to issue from gravel 
overlain by hardpan. The flow is not large, but it is reported not to 
vary. The surroundings consist of a level wooded plateau. The 
water is odorless, is exceedingly pleasant to the taste, and is very 
clear. The temperature is said to be invariable. The water is sold 
for table and medicinal purposes at 15 cents a gallon. An analysis, 
recalculated from that of the owners is given in the table (No. 287). 

Indian Hermit Mineral Spring. — About three-quarters of a mile 
east of Wells village is a spring owned by Mr. C. D. Healey, called 
the Indian Hermit Mineral Spring. The spring is situated on a hill- 
side and the water is said by the owner to issue from ledge with a 
volume of 5 gallons a minute. The water is colorless and odorless 
and has a very pleasant taste. It is sold as a table and medicinal 
water. The water is said to have been analyzed by Rush & John- 
stone, chemists, of Philadelphia, who report it to contain lithia, 
silica, iron, sodium, magnesium, and other elements. 

KennehunJc Beach Mineral Spring. — At the Mineral Spring House 
at Kennebunk Beach there is a spring owned by Mr. H. K. Smith, 
the water of which has been sold for table use. The spring is said 
to have been used by the farmers for years. The hotel was built by 
Mr. W. F. Paul fifteen years ago, being then called the Grove Hill 
House. The water is used at the hotel for drinking and cooking, 
and until city water was installed it was used for other purposes. 
Considerable water is said to be sold to cottages and hotels in the 
vicinity and in Kennebunk Beach and Kennebunkport. The water 
is said to have a very peculiar taste. It was analyzed by S. H. 
Ilitchings, chemist, in 1899 and found to contain 189 parts per 
million of mineral matter. No quantitative determination of the 
different constituents was made. 

The spring is 12 feet across and 2 or 3 feet deep in the center. It 
is inclosed in a spring house about 15 feet square. The hotel is 
situated on a ledge on the hillside, 300 feet distant, and 50 feet above 
the spring. The spring is well walled up and protected by masonry 
curbing. The water is pumped by a pitcher pump. It is very clear. 



236 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

The formation is bowlder clay, but hard blue clay outcrops 40 feet 
distant, across the road. The spring is only 200 feet from the edge 
of the salt marsh, which may account for the peculiar taste. 

Olde Yorl'e Spri7}g. — The Okie Yorke Spring, o\vned by the Olde 
Yorke Springs Company, is situated at Old Orchard. The water is 
colorless, odorless, tasteless, and excellent for drinking. As shoAni 
by the analysis reported in the circular issued by the o^^^le^s and 
recomputed as Xo. 289 in the table, the water contains 94 parts per 
million of total solids. It is sold at 20 cents a 1 -gallon can. 

Seal Bock Spring. — In the town of Saco, about IJ miles east of the 
post-office, is the Seal Rock Spring, o^^^led by Mr. M. A. Leavitt. 
The water is said to boil up from a surface deposit in a valley with a 
volume of Ih gallons a minute, which is not supposed to vary with 
the season. The spring is situated in an open field. The water has 
no color, odor, or taste, and carries no sediment. Xo analysis has 
been made. The water is used for drinking, cooking, and medicinal 
purposes, and is sold for 5 cents a gallon. 

^ya^ca LitJiia Spring. — The Wawa Litliia Spring, owned by ^Ir. 
C. W. Dunyon, of Roxbury, Mass., is located 1 mile fi'om Ogunquit, 
in the to\\'n of Wells. The spring is situated in a valley halfway 
do'svn a liillside, and is said by the o\\Tier to issue from a broken 
granite ledge. It is protected by a small spring house which is kept 
locked and surrounded bv a vdre fence. The surroundings are 
wooded. The water has no color or odor and is very clear. The 
temperature is low and is said to be variable. The flow is reported 
to be 1 to 2 gallons a minute Tsrith little variation. The water is 
used for domestic purposes and is sold as a medicinal and table 
water. The price of a 5-gallon carboy is SI. 50. The analysis in the 
table (Xo. 288), is recalculated from that given by the company. 

White Sand Spring. — The White Sand Spring is situated on a farm 
near Springvale and the water is sold in Sanford and Springvale. It 
is o^\^ied by Mr. George G. Plummer. The water is reported to 
issue at the rate of 5 gallons a minute from granite overlain by 
gravel, on a rather flat slope. It is colorless^ odorless, and tasteless, 
and its temperature varies AA^ith the season. It is used for drinking 
and cooking and is sold in Sanford and Springvale as a medicinal 
and table water. The total solids reported in an analysis published 
l)y the owner are 42 parts per million, and the hardness is 19.5. A 
sanitary analysis showed practically no nitrates and very little 
anmionia, which indicates that the water is probably safe for drinking. 

PUBLIC SUPPLIES. 

General statement. — A number of communities in York County 
have public supplies, but only two of them are from underground 
sources. Probablv the best water svstem m the countv is o^Tied 



YOEK COUNTY. 237 

by the Mousam Water Company. The supply is taken from Branch 
Brook^ in the toA\Ti of Kennebimk, and is used by the villages of West 
Kennebunk, Kennebunk Landing, Kennebunkport, Kennebunk 
Beach J Cape Porpoise, Ocean Bluff, Wells, and Ogunquit. Kittery 
and Kittery Point are supplied by Folly Pond. North Ber^Wck and 
South Berwick use small brooks. York, York Harbor, and York 
Beach are supplied by the York Shore Water Company from Chase 
Lake. Biddeford and Saco obtain their water from Saco River. 
Formerly Old Orchard was supplied from Pliillip's spring in Saco, 
but at present Saco River water is used. Berwick has a well supply. 
Springvale uses water from Littlefields pond, although formerly the 
village was supplied by springs. Sanford has a dug well and driven 
wells near ^lousam River between Sanford and Springvale. 

Sanford.— The Sanford watenvorks consist of 16 driven wells and 
a large dug well situated on the flood plain beside Mousam River 
between Sanford and Springvale. The water is pumped into a reser- 
voir and the pressure is derived in part from that and in part from the 
pumps at the pumping station near by. The water mains consist of 
galvanized-iron, wrought-iron, and cast-iron pipes, from 12 inches 
down to 1^ inches in diameter. It has been thought that the gal- 
vanized iron seriously affects the condition of the water, and the 
pipes sometimes rust through. For that reason the galvanized-iron 
mains are being replaced by others of cast iron. The capacity of the 
reservoir is 500,000 gallons and it gives a pressure of 90 pounds. 

L'ntil a 3^ear ago only the dug well was used, but this water was 
insufficient and for that reason driven wells were installed. These 
range in depth from 20 to 30 feet. The water is found in a bed of 
gravel, which slopes in the same direction as the river, and which 
is overlain by fine sand and silt ; 500 gallons a minute can be pumped 
for eighteen hours at a stretch. The sand furnishes an excellent 
natural filter bed, and the supply seems to be perfectly satisfactor3\ 

BervAclc. — For five years Berwick has had a supply from driven 
wells situated on the north edge of the village. The waterworks 
are owned by the Berwick Water Company. The water is dis- 
tributed from a reservoir having a capacity of 750,000 gallons and 
giving a fire pressure of 105 pounds and a regular domestic pressure 
of 68 pounds. The water is soft and is satisfactory. The mains are 
about 7 miles in length and there are 30 fire hydrants and 200 taps. 
About one-tenth of the inliabitants use the public supply. The con- 
sumption is 40,000 gallons daily. There is plenty of water and it is 
reported to be excellent, but persons beyond reach of the mains still 
use dug wells. A field assay is given in the table (Xo. 194). 

West Xevjfield. — The people of West XeA\'field are supplied by a 
spring, which flows with a volume of 2 gallons a minute. The water 
is excellent. There are about 1,000 feet of mains and 26 taps. 



RECORDS OF DEEP WELLS IN SOUTHERN MAINE. 



ByW. S. Bayley 



The table on the followmg pages contains the records of 526 
wells more than 50 feet in depth obtained to the date of completing 
the foregoing report. This list was started by correspondence 
during the 3'ears 1903 to 1905, and was completed and revised by field 
and office work in 1906 and 1907. An effort has been made to include 
in it all wells, both successful and unsuccessful, more than 50 feet in 
depth, which have been sunk in southern Maine. In order to make a 
systematic canvass of the State, blanks were first mailed to the 
postmasters, asking for the names of well o^vners and drillers. The 
majority of postmasters replied to these inquiries, and to the names 
obtained in that way another blank was sent, requesting full informa- 
tion regarding the locality, owner, year completed, diameter, type, 
depth of well, depth to rock, depth to principal and secondary water 
supplies, head of water, quality of water, 3^ield, use,, and method of 
obtaining water from all wells. Replies were received from about 
half the persons to whom the inquiries were sent. Wliere the first 
request met with no reply, a second was sent. 

It is probable that a considerable number of wells have been 
omitted from the list for the reasons, first, that many well owners 
did not reply to either the first or the second request for information, 
and, second, that it has been impracticable on account of expense to 
visit all the wells in the field. Doubtless there are some dug wells 
more than 50 feet deep which are not included, as all open wells have 
been dug many years and it is difficult to obtain reliable information 
concerning them. Some drilled wells are omitted for similar reasons. 

It is believed that most of the information given in the table is 
correct. In preparing such a table, however, inaccuracies are bound 
to creep in, and it is probable that there have been some mistakes 
in filling out the blank forms. The list is especially likely to be 
somewhat in error with respect to the depths at which water was 
obtained. Few of the local drillers keep accurate records, and in 
consequence the only data obtainable regarding depth to water are 
for the most part such as can be recalled b}" the well owners. The 
nature of the rock furnishing the supply is seldom reported in corre- 
238 



RECOKDS OF DEEP WELLS. 239 

spondence, and many of the reports made are not reliable, for the 
reason that persons not educated along these lines are unfamiliar 
with the correct names of rock formations in which water is found. 
The data in the column headed ^'Material" are furnished mainly by 
F. G. Clapp, G. C. ^latson, and B. L. Johnson, who investigated the 
conditions regarding occurrence of water in southern Maine and who 
have visited most of the wells listed in the table. In the column 
headed '^Quality of water" the terms ''hard" and ''soft" will be 
seen to be of frequent occurrence. In only a few parts of southern 
Maine are there any really "hard" waters, and for that reason the 
word must be taken onl}^- in a relative sense, as comparing the water 
with some softer water which is familiar to the person making the 
report. 

The compiler wishes to express his thanks and those of the United 
States Geological Survey to all persons who have assisted in supplying 
information. They have done a public service to the community. 



240 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 



Records of deep wells in southern Maine. 
[Abbreviations: n. r., no rock; +0, just overflows; —0, reaches surface, but does not overflow.] 



No. 


Locality. 


Owner. 


t3 

ft 

S 
o 
o 

a; 


0) 

o 

.9 

0) 

1 


Type. 


1 
1 

1 

ft 

ft 


1 

o 
o 

s 

*i> 
ft 
a> 

ft 


1 


Androscoggin County. 
Auburn 


John Picket. 






Drilled. 






90 

n. r. 

n. r, 

60 
...... 

10 

"""6' 
"'is' 

2 
35 

"'40' 
20 
10 
12,^ 
10 
30 

n. r. 



4 


""2 


3 
1 
6 

"'46' 

10 

2 

"'ii' 

18 
15 
62 

""12" 

"'36' 
40 


2 


do 


Turner Center Creamery 

Frank Merrill 


1904 
1906 


8 

6 
6 


do 

Driven 

do 

Drilled 


654 
60 
65 

103J 
60 


3 


East Auburn 

Lcwiston 


4 


Bates Mill Co 


5 


do 


W. R. Bartlett 


1899 
1891 


6 


do 


F. P. Stetson 


7 


Lisbon Fails 


Hugh Douglas 


Drilled. 


8 


do 


R. A. Small ." 


1889 


6 


do 

do .. . 


50 
187 
215 

65 
120 
140 

95| 
200 

290 

70 

113 

125 

72 

52J 

52 

70 

25-35 

75 

80 

127 

50 

60 

55 

115 

60 

75 

151J 

149 

210 

390 

275 

70 

80 

■ 550 

326 

277 

482 

68 

205 

1491 

200 

140? 

160? 

180? 


9 


. do 


Wommho Wnnlpn M'll<? 


10 


.. do 


do 


1904 

'1892' 
1895 

1884 
1891 




do 


11 
12 


Livermore Falls 

Mechanic Falls 


W. A. Thompson 

Portland and Rumford Falls Ry. 
W. F. Trask and C. F. Gould.. . 

Frank Milliken 


"6 
6 

f 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

5h 

6" 

2* 

6 

6 

6,5 


do 

do 

do 

Drilled 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Driven 

Drilled 

do 

do 

do . 


13 


Poland 


14 


Cumberland Couvtty. 
Baldwin 


15 


Bridgton 


A. H. Abbott 


16 


do 


Bridgton Aqueduct Co 


16a 


do 


The Bridgton 




17 


do 


Rufus Gibbs's heirs 




18 


do 

do 

do 


J. K. Martin 


1890 
1903 
1896 
1890 
1905 
1904 


19 


Granville Morrison 


20 


W. Morrison 


21 


do 

do 

Brunswick 

Cape Elizabeth 

do 


O. G. Plummer 


22 


G. Whitehouse .- 


23 

24 


Brunswick and Topsham water 

district. 
Geo. G. Brooks 


25 


J. B . Coyle estate 





26 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Clapboard Island, Fal- 
mouth. 

Cow Island 

Cushing Island 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

East Otisfield 


Geo. T. (?ruft 


1899 


27 


James Cunningham 


28 


Mrs. E . Dennison 


1906 


6 
6 
6 


do 

do 

do 

do . 


29 


— — Goodrich 


30 


Amos Miller 


1894 


31 


Geo. F. Morse 


32 


N. W. Morse 


1895 


6 
6 
6 
6 

6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


33 


Shore Acres Land Co 


34 
35 


U. S. Government (light-house). 
S. F. Houston 


1902 
1899 

1905 


36 


U. S. Government 


37 


Francis Cushing 


38 


S. W. Thaxteret al 


1889 
1892 
1902 
1905 
1906 
1907 
1888 
1897 
1894 
1900 
1886 
1886 
1888 
1886 
1894 
1897 
1906 
1892 
1902 


6 
8,6 

"s 

8 
8 
7 
6 
6 
8 
6 
6 
6 
6 
8 
8 
6 
6 
6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


39 


do 


40 
41 


U.S. Government (Fort Levitt). 
... do 


42 


do 


43 


do 


44 


Lester Jilson 


45 


Falmouth 

do : 

do 

Freeport 

do 

do 

do 


J. M. BroMTi 


46 


E. H. Ingalls 


47 


George Woodward 


48 


Clark grist mill 


49 


Freeport Granite Co 


50 


Mrs. C. H. Mallett 


51 


0. W. Shaw & Co 


140? 
92 
66 
80 
96 
90 
80 
60 
307 
105 
65 


40 

76 
5 
5 


68 
few 

17 


19 
6 


52 


Gorham 


J. H. Carroll 


53 


do 

..do 


Dar. Cressey 


54 


A. B. Peering. 


55 


do 

do 

do 


Gorham Normal School. . . 


56 


Melville Johnson 


57 


Clarence McMakin 


58 


.do 


H. L. Martin 


1900 
1900 
1901 
1895 


6 

6 

8 

8,6 


do 

do 

do 

do 


59 


do 


J. H. Rines 


60 


do 


Fred Smith 


61 


do 


Wm. E. Strout 



KECOKDS OF DEEP WELLS. 



241 



Records of deep wells in southern Maine. 



[Abbreviations: n. r., 


Qo rock; +0, just overflows; - 


-0, reaches surface 


, but does not overflow. 


] 


Depth to principal water 
supply (feet). 


.£ 

P4 

s 

ra 

03 



B 

ft 


03 


Material in 

which water 

occurs. 


■^ 03-0 

^03 03 
< 


Quality. 


S 
(-1 

ft 

§? 
bJO 


How obtained, 
where used. 


Use, or if not used, the 
reason why. 


No. 






Gneiss 








Abandoned . . 




1 






do 









Not used 


No water 

Drinking 

Bleaching 

Too little water 

Domestic 


2 








Gravel 

.do 


+ 


Fair 


3 


63 
'"'"56 






Iron and mag- 
nesia. 
Good... 


3 


Steam pump .... 

Not used 

Pnmr> 


4 


60 


Gneiss 




5 


- 20 


Hard, iron 


6 




Granite 








7 


47 




do 


- 15 
few 


Hard 

Sulphur 


2 


Hand pump 


Domestic 


8 




. ..do. 


9 


63 




Gneiss. 




35 






10 




Granite.. . . 










11 






do. 


- 10 
+ 


Soft 




Not used 

do 


Too little water 


12 


135 




do 


Hard 


18 


13 






- 17 


Soft 


Windmill 

do 


Domestic 

Domestic and irriga- 
tion. 

Very little water 

Water works installed. 
Not enough for hotel. . 
Domestic and stock. .. 

Domestic 

Domestic and stock. . . 
do 


14 


198 




Granite 

.. do .. 


- 12 


do 


90 


15 








Never used 

Abandoned 

do 


16 






do 




Good 




16a 






do 




. do 


6 

20 

manv 

6 


17 


115 




do 


- 75 Soft 

- 10' do 

- 12'. do 


Hand pump 

Windmill 

do 


18 




do 


19 


45 




do 


20 




do.. . 


- 30 

- 47 


Hard.. 


Pump 


21 


70 
3-10 




do 


Soft 


5 


Windmill . 


do 


?? 




Sand 

Schist 


-Ito 
+ 


Hard. . 


Steam pump 

Abandoned 


Public supply 

City water installed . . . 


23 




Brackish 




24 






.. .do. 








25 


.0 




60 




- 27 


Hard 




Windmill 


Domestic and stock. .. 

Domestic 

do 


26 








Good 

Hard . 


many 


27 






Schist . . . 




Hand pump 


28 














^9 


115 


90 


Schist 

do . 


- 6 


Hard 


few 


Windmill 


Domestic 


30 
31 






do. 


- 5 

- 30 

- 6 

- 35 

+ 


Hard 




Windmill 

do... . 


Domestic 

Domestic and stock. .. 

Drinking and stock 

Domestic and stock. . . 


32 






Slate 


Good 

Alkaline 

Good 


many 
32 


33 


140 
200 


60 
60 


do.. . 


34 





Hot-air engine. . . 


35 






20 


36 






Gneiss 




Steam pump 

Windmill 

.do 


Public supply 


37 






Schist 

Gneiss 

Snhist. 


- 50 

- 25 


Fair 

Good 


10 


Domestic 

do 


38 






39 










Not used 


Water gave out 

Supply of fort 


40 


280 


60 


,45! do 


- 20 

- 20 

- 18 


Good 

Iron 


10 

30 

5 


41 




do. 


Steam pump 


do 


42 


180 


464 


do 


Hard. 


do 


43 


Windmill 

do 


Domestic and stock. . . 
Domestic 


44 


204 








Soft 

Hard.. 


40 


45 








do 


.do 


46 


200 




50 




- 6 






Pump 


.do 


' 47 




- 40 

- 40 

- 5 

- 50 

- 75 

- 4 

- 30 
+ 1 

- 40 






Not used 

do 


Citj- water installed. . . 
..do 


48 












49 


160 













m 










Not used 

Windmill 

Hand pump 

Pnmn 


City water installed. . . 

Domestic 

do 

Domestic and stock. . . 


51 


92 
66 
60 
92 
85 




Slate 

do 






52 


fe 


w 


Hard 




.53 


80 do 

1 


Good 




54 


Hard 


Not used 


55 


Slate 

Schist... 




li 


Windmill 


Domestic and stock. . . 

Domestic 

Fann 

Domestic and stock. . . 

Domestic 

Domestic and stock. . 


56 


Little hard 


57 








' Slate 

do 


- 14 

- 30 

- 18 


Hard.. .. 


5 


Windmill 

do 


58 






30 


do 


59 


... do 


Soft 


...... 


do 


60 


63 


... 




Schist 


- 9 Hard 


Hand pump 


61 



59969— IRE 223—09- 



-16 



242 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 
Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued. 



No. 


Locality. 


Owner. 


» 

i 

o 

u 

1 


1 

It 

s 
p 


Type. 


1 


4^ 

o 
Q 


62 


Cumberland County- 
Continued. 

Great Chebeague Island. 

Great Diamond Island.. 

do 

do 


EUi'^ Ames Ballard. . 




6 
6 
6 
6 


Drilled 

do 

do 

do 

do. 


301 
120 
96 
215 
302 

97^ 
265i 

95 
265 

65 

90 
270 
197- 
171 

67 
210 
150 
100+ 

93 

75 

90 
135 

60 
202 
203 
201 

80 

97 
164 

60 
298^ 
106 

204 

128 
140 
210 

178 
505 
830 
161 

96 

56 
290 
201 
127± 

60 
100 
108 
121 

60 

60 

63 

78 

86 
216 

200 
216 

58 
70 


...„. 

6 
6 

10 

'"s" 

16 
20 

"o" 

100± 

6 



13 

""'o" 



"'i4" 





2 
...„. 



i'm 

5 

8 

42 


30 

100+ 
97 

4 



"19" 
1 

"e" 


41 

12 

50 

"s" 

"e" 



n. r. 


63 
64 


Diamond Island Association 

do 


1893 


65 


W. A. Stone 


1900 


66 


do 


U. S. Government (Fort Mc- 

Kinley). 
do 


67 


do 


1902 
1902 
1902 
1899 


6 
6 

t 


do 

do 

do 

do 

• do 


68 


do 


do 


69 


do 


do 


70 


do 




71 


Harrison 

do 

House Island, Portland. 
Little Chebeague Island. 
Little Diamond Island.. 

Mere Point 

Naples. 

New Gloucester 


Dan Caswell 


72 


Ben Harmon. ... . 






do 


73 

74 


U. S. Government (quarantine). 
J.H.Hamlin 




.... 


do 

.. do 


75 
76 


U. S. Government (light-house). 
W. D. Pennell 


1902 


8 
6 
8 
6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


77 


Mrs. A. F. Perlv 


1895 
1895 


78 


Shaker Societv 


79 


Otisfield 

Peaks Island 


Lester Jilson 


80 


Beacon Hill Water Co 




6 
6 

6 
8 


do 

do 

■ 

do 

do 

do 


81 


.do 


Sue Cole 




82 


do 


Tom Frothingham. jr 


1899 
1900 


83 


do 


C. W. T. Goding 


84 


do 


Hillburn estate 


85 
86 


do 

. .do 


Peaks Island Water and Light Co 
do 


1898 
1905 
1907 


8 
8 
8 


do 

do 

do 

do 


86a 


do 


do 


87 


do 


Harriet M. Skillings's heirs 


88 


do 


J. H. Tohnan 


1896 
1895 


8,6 
6 


do 

do 


89 


Portland 


Jas. P. Baxter 


90 


do 


Chas. A. Brown 


91 


.do.. 


Burgess-Forbes & Co 


1887 
1891 

1887 

1906 
1886 


6 
6 

8 

6 
6 
6 


Drilled 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


92 


. ..do 


E. T. Btirrows & Co 


93 


do 


Consolidated Electric Light Co. 

of Maine. 
D. F. Emorv- 


94 


do 


95 


do 


Foster's dye house 


96 


do 


Mary J. Frazer 


97 


do 


M. R. Griffith. 


1897 
1892 
1901 
1897 
1898 


98 


do 


Maine General Hospital . ... 


6 
10,8 


-----do 

do 

. ...do 


99 


.do 


.do 


100 


. .do 


John T. Palmer 


101 


.. .do 


Y. M. C. A. building 


9 


do 

Dug 

Drilled 

do 

do...... 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Dug 


102 


Scarboro 


Walter Briggs 


103 


do 


Ira C . Foss 




6 

7 
8 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 

6 
6 

""2 


104 


do 


H. J. Libbv estate 


1905 


105 


do 


S. D. Plunimer 


106 


Sebago Lake 


Chas. DollotT heirs 


1895 
1888 
1901 
1902 
1902 
1901 
1897 
1900 
1897 
1904 

1904 
1903 

1850 
1903 i 


107 


South Freeport 


G. A. Dixon 


108 


do 


J. H. Leo 


109 


South Windham 

Standish.. 


J. L. Robinson 


110 


Jno. W. Bowers . . 


111 


do 

do 

do 


Mrs. G. W. Granville 


112 


Almond Marean 


113 


Frank H. Rand 


114 


do.. 

Westbrook 


R. W. E. Shaw 


115 


Haskell Silk Co 


116 


... .do 


do 


117 


do 

Franklin County. 

Farmington 

North Jay 


Rufus Jordon 


118 


Warren Ladd 


119 


Leon H. Look 


Driven 



RECORDS OF DEEP WELLS. 



243 



Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued. 



1 

CLO) 

.tr<v 

Is 

ftp, 

■B ^ 
a 

<B 


CO 

.2 
"E 
ft 

3 

a 

o 
o 

a 

a 
« 


3" 


Material in 

which water 

occurs. 


Average height to which 
water rises (+ above, 
— below, well mouth). 


Quality. 


S 

CO 

& 
S <i5 

O +J 

=2 3 


• 

How obtained, 
where used. 


Use, or if not used, the 
reason why. 


No. 


55 




Schist 

Slate 

do 


- 15 
+ 


Good 


12 

15 

8 

14 

25 
15 
30 
60 


Windmill 

Hot-air engine... 
do 

Steam pump 


Domestic 

Public supply 

do 

Domestic 


62 




Hard.... 


63 






- 15 
+ 


do 

Soft 


64 






do 


65 






Schist 

Slate 

do 


- 20 

t I 




66 


80 
100 

80 
• 35 




Hard 






67 




do 

do 

Soft 


Not used 




68 




do 






69 




do 


Steam pump 


Domestic 


70 




Granite 


Good 




71 






.. ..do. ..J 






Abandoned 

Windmill 

Not used 

do 


House burned 


72 






Schist .J 




15 


Domestic 

Water gave out 

Water too salty 

Domestic 

Stock and irrigation.. . 


73 






do. . 




74 


160 




Slate 

Schist 


- 6 


Salty 


4 


75 




Hand pump 

Steam pump 

Not used 


76 






- 24 

- 35 




i 


77 


35 








78 




Granite 








79 


23 




Schist 

do 


- 10 




25 
few 

5 

52 
many 

1 85 


Hot-air engine... 
Hand pump 

do 


Public supply 


80 




Hard, little 

iron. 
Little iron 


Domestic 


81 


90 




do. 


- 10 
+ 


Domestic and stock. . . 

Boilers and hotel 

Domestic 


82 




do 


Steam pump 

Hand pump 

(Steam pump 

1 do 


83 


60 




do. 




84 




do. 




Hard .... 


Public supply 


85 


193 
140 




do. 


- 28 

- 30 


do 

. ..do 


.,...do 


86 


90 


do 

do. 


do 


do 


86a 






Hand pump 




87 


84 
164 

60 
160 
106 

136 

120 
60 




do 




Soft 


2 


Windmill 


Domestic 


88 




Slate 

do 


1 


Hard 


Business block 


89 




- 10 
-160 

- 15 

- 9 


Soft 






90 


288 
29 


do 

do 

do 

do. . .. 


Soft, alkaluie. 
Hard 


14 


Steam pump 

.....do 


Boilers and drinking. . 
Fire service and wash- 
ing. 
Water too saltj'' 


91 
92 


^ Salty 


65 

li 
30 
25 


Not used 

Windmill ... 


93 


- 42 

- 12 
+ 

- 78 
-100 
-100 


Soft 


94 




do 


do 

do 

Hard 


Pump 


Dye house 


95 




do 


Windmill 


Supplies many tene- 
ments. 


96 






do 


97 


405 
97 


505 


do 

Gravel 

Slate 


Soft 


13 
3 


Steam pump 

Not used 


Domestic and boilers.. 
Too little water 


98 


do 

Hard 


99 




100 


38 




do. 




. .do 


26 


Abandoned 

Windmill 

Not used 

Windmill 

do 


Sometimes brackish.. . 
Domestic 


101 






- 54 




102 


275 
200 






Salty 




Water salty 


103 


40 


Slate 

do 


- 14 

- 8 

- 10 

- 4 

- 18 

- 40 

- 15 

- 4 

- 13 

- 4 

- 26 
+ 

- 16 
+ 8 


Hard 

do 

■ Soft 


8 
many 


Domestic and stock. . . 
do 


104 
105 










do 


106 




15 
35 




Medium 




Hand pump 

Windmill 

Not used 

Hand pump 

do 

.....do 


Domestic and factory. . 
Domestic 


107 


Granite 

Slate 


Hard 


2 

5 


108 


Muddy 

Soft 


Poor water 


109 


59 
60 
13 
71 




Domestic 


110 




Schist 


do 

Hard... 


4 


do 


111 


do 

Domestic and stock. . . 
Farm 


112 




50 


Schist 

do...... . 


Soft 


9 
3 

I" 


do 

do 

JAirhft 

l....do 

Natural flow 

Windlass 

Not used 


113 


Hard... 


114 


200 

200 
216 

58 


50 
50 


Slate and 
granite. 

Slate 

do.. 


Hard, sul- 
phur. 

do 

Hard... 


Manufacturing 

do 


115 
116 


Domestic 


117 




Clay 




Domestic 


118 











Too little water 


119 



244 UNDERGKOUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Records of deep irclls in southern Maine — Continued. 



No. 


Locality. 


Owner. 


s 

® 

o 
o 


1 

o 

s 

i 

S 


Type. 


1 

i 

O 

a 

<s 

Q 


(S 

i 

o 

0! 


120 


Hancock County. 

Bar Harbor 

Black Island 


Edw. Morrell 


1902 
1893 

1905 


6 
6 


Drilled 

do 

do 


87J 
74 

140 

208 

90 


2 
4 

20 



121 


Bro^vn & McAllister 

A. M. Thomas 

A S Thomas 


122 


Bluehill 

do 

Bluehill Falls 

Brooklin 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Bucksport 

do 

Castine 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Crotch Island, Stoning- 
ton. 

East Orland 


123 




do 


124 


Mrs. Ethell^ert Nevins 

Brooklin Packing Co 


1905 




do .... 


125 


6 
6 
5 
4 


do 


126 


Wm. W. Dodge . 




do 

do 

do 

do 


112 

104 

87 

55 

80 

308 

368 
58 
70 

80 
110 
675 

50 
303 

87^ 
207 
250 
110 

98 

65 
50 
65 
30 

78 

50 
60 
65 
37 
51 
189 
90 

43 
42 
77 
65 
37 
a50-60 

92 
114 

61 
136 
125 

297 
144 
67i 

183 
94 

279 
98 

120 

108 
199 


2 
■"4" 

few 


43 
14 
14 

14 

14 

12 

7 

"2" 

4 

5 

12± 
4 
n. r. 



5 

"3" 



7 

"2" 

12 

4 

4 

n. r. 

4 

'"6" 

6 
2 
2J 








30 
6 


127 
128 
129 


G. S Stevens 

Noah V. Tibbetts 

Mrs. Wilson 


1888 
1904 


130 
131 

132 


Mehille Chapman 

Eastern Maine Conference Semi- 
nary. 
Acadian Hotel Co 


1891 
1902 

1906 
1893 
1893 

1894 
1896 
1899 
1893 
1906 


6 
6 

6 

7 
7 

8 

7 
8 
7 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


133 
134 

135 
136 
137 
138 
139 


Castine Water Co 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Geo. W. Perkins 

Ryan- Parker Construction Co. . . 

Tom Mason 


140 


6 
6 


Driven 

Drilled 

do 


141 
142 


Great Cranberry Island. . 

do "- 

Greening Island 


Moorefield Storej^ 

do 

Colton 

J. G. Thorp 

Hancock Water, Gas and Power 
Co. 

D. H. Saunders 

E. L. Stratton 

Jeremiah Stratton 

Town of Hancock 

Mrs. R. A. Sturtevant 

Miss Frothingham 

F. L. Colbv 

I. G. Crabtree 


1904 
1907 
1903 
1896 
1880 

1888 
1904 
1905 
1902 
1895 

1903 
1888 
1888 
1903 
1902 
1900 
1896 

1899 
1890 


143 




do 


144 
145 

146 
147 
148 
149 
150 

151 
152 
153 


do 

Hancock 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Isle au Haut 

Little Cranberry Island . 

Mount Desert Ferrv 

do 

North Sullivan 

do 

Northeast Harbor 

do 

Orland 

do 

do 

do 

oner Creek 

Sorrento 

do 

do 

do 

Southwest Harbor 

do 

do 

Stonington 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Sullivan 

do 

do 

Buttons Island 


6 
100 

6 
6 
6 
2 

6 

6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 

6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
2 

6 
6 
7 
6 
6 

5^ 

u 

6 

6 

6 

10 


do 

Old mine 
shaft. 

Drilled 

do 

do 

Bored 

Drilled 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Driven 

Drilled 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Blasted and 
drilled. 

Drilled 

do 


154 


C. H. Abbot 


155 
156 
156a 

157 
158 
159 


Crabtree & Havev 

L. E. Kimball 

J. G. Thorp 

A. H. Dresser 

A. W. Emerson 

Mrs. A. W. Hutchins 


160 
161 


A. J. Jordan 

Mrs. Birge 


1887 
1899 
1896 

1891 


162 


Frank Jones estate 


163 


do 


164 


Isaac Lawrence 


165 


William Lawrence 


1892 
1891 
1895 

1899 
1900 
1893 

1896 
1906 
1908 
1889 


166 
167 


Southwest Harbor Water Co 

do 


168 


do 


169 


Gever & Torey 


170 
171 


Samuel Goss 

Pine Lake Water Co 


172 


J. C. Rogers & Co 


173 


do 


174 
175 


Dwight Braman 

do 


176 


S. V. Bennis 




6,5 
6 


177 


Wm. Bumham 


1902 



a 14 wells. 



EECOKDS OF DEEP WELLS. 



245 



Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued. 



Depth to principal water 
supply (feet). 


Depth to other supplies 
(feet). 


Material in 

which water 

occurs. 


Average height to which 
water rises (+ above, 
— below, well mouth). 


Quality. 


t-l 

ft 


How obtained, 
where used. 


Use, or if not used, the 
reason why. 


No. 


87i 




Granite 




Good. . 




Hand pump 

do 


Stock 


120 


70 ^<^ 


do 

Gneiss 

do 


- 3 


Iron 


15 
many 


Domestic and quarry 

supply. 
Stock 


121 






- 


Soft, muddy. 
Iron . 


Hot-air engine... 

Hand pump 

Hot-air pump . . . 


1??, 








Domestic 


123 






do 






7i 
many 


do 


124 






Ora.nit.fi 








Sardine factory 

Domestic 


125 




do . 


- 26 

- 20 

- 


Good 


Windmill 

Pump 


126 


103 

87 


20,40 
20,60 






2i 
many 


Domestic and boiler. . . 
Domestic 


127 




Soft 


Steam pump 

Hand pump 


128 


GrRnit.p. _ _ 


Good 




1?,9 


70 
100 

278 


20 Onart.zitft 


- 20- 

- 8 

- 15 


Iron 


few 
many 

10 


do 


Domestic 


130 


300± 


Slate 

Volcanic tufE. 
do 


Hard, iron . . . 
Hard 


Gasoline engine . 

Hot-air engine . . 

Not used 

WindmiU and 
steam pimap. 
1 do 


Washing and boilers. . . 
Hotel 


131 
13? 


Drill stuck 


133 


62 

62 

62 

620 

48 


do 


- 25 

- 25 


Soft 


• 27 
13 


Public supply 


134 




do 


do 


....do 


135 




do . . . 


- 25 

- 27 

- 8 


do 

do 

do 


....do 


....do 


136 




do 


Windmill 


Little used 


137 


40 




Dairy. 


138 




Granite 


Saltv 




Not used 

Windmill 

Not used 


Water salty 


139 






Sand 

Felsite 


- 40 


Good 


8 

1 

few 


Domestic and stock 

Too little water 


140 






141 






do 






14? 


90 
86 








Salty 


Not used 

Windmill 

Windmill and 

gasoline engine. 

Hand pump 


Water salty 


143 


45 


Granite 


- 9 

- 3 

- 12 

- 20 

- 45 
+ 5 

- 4 

- 6 

- 30 

- 10 


Soft 




Domestic 


144 


Little hard . . . 




Public supply 

Stock 


145 


62 
30 
50 
30 

72 

50 
60 
10 
37 
18 
180 
86 

23 
42 
67 
60 
34 
50-60 

90 






Soft 


few 
many 


146 


50 


Schist 

do 




Domestic 


147 


Little hard. . . 




do 


148 


30 


Gravel 


Soft 


10 
5 


Natural flow 

Windmill and 
gasoline engine. 

Hand pump 

do 


Drinking fountain 

Domestic and stock 

Domestic 


149 


do 


150 




151 








.. ..do 


152 






Soft 




Pump 


do 


153 




Granite 


Good 


16 

many 

40 

10 


Hand pump 


do 


154 


do 


- 10 

- 83 

- 7 

- 20 

- 20 

- 59 

- 7 

- 3 
+ 

- 11 


Little iron 

do 

Soft 


do 


do 


155 






Not used 

Windmill and 
gasoline engine. 

Hand pump 

do 


City water installed . . . 
Domestic and irriga- 
tion. 

House unoccupied 

Domestic 


156 


30 




156a 


Slate 

do 


Hard 


157 


Hard, good . . 




158 






Iron 




do 


do 


159 


33,44 


Slate 

Granite 

Sand 

Slate 


Iron, muddy . 
Good 




Not used 

Hand pump 

Abandoned 

Not used 


Poor water 


160 


Domestic 


161 


do 




Formerly village sup- 
ply- 
Brackish 


16? 


Soft 


6 


163 






164 


.56 

120 

95 




Slate 

Granite 

do 


- 14 

- 80 

- 9 

- 30 

- 7 

- 18 

- 4 


Soft 


4 
50 
45 

100 

3 

28 
} 60 


Not used 

do 


Brackish 


165 


Hard 




Ififi 


Soft 


Gasoline engine 
and windmill. 
do 


Public supply 


167 




do 


Medium 

Soft 


do 


168 


144 
65 

180 

45 

210 




do 


Windmill 

Windmill and 
gasohne engine. 

Not used 

fSteara pump 

\ do 


Domestic 


169 


.3.5 


do 

do 


Hard 


Supplies 15 families. . . 

Never connected 

Quarrying 


170 


Soft .• 


171 


38 


do 

do 


Good 


179 


do 


173 




do 


- 8 




Hand pump and 
windmill. 


Drinking. ... 


174 






do 








175 






Slate 








Not used 

Gasoline engine. 


Too little water 

Domestic 


176 


199 


i74 


Trap 


- 6 


Soft 


20 


177 



246 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 

Records of deep icells in southern Maine — Continued. 



No. 


Locality. 


Owner. 


'6 

B 
a 

ft 

S 
o 
o 

^- 


? 

o 

.2 

i 

03 
ft 


Type. 


is 

ft 

ft 


1 

2 

ft 

01 

ft 


178 


Hancock County— Con. 
Suttons Island 


Church S' Bumham 




5^ 
G 


Drilled 

do 


90 

54 
130 ± 

61 
410 

45 
560 
108 

80 

56 

34 

70 

77 

56 
100 

85 
135 
230 

92 

50 

65 

1 110- 
\ 125 

67 

55 

65 

55 
307J 

87 

96 

65 
120 
172 
176 
200 
184 
113 
200 

320 
75 

230 
200 + 
57 
164 
150 
126 
121 
165 
118 
300 
200 
282 
142 

122 

97 

640 

54 

67 


"22" 
'"26"" 

"6" 

3 

2 
39 

5 

20 
10 
10 

4 

"m" 

"h" 

} 

5 

5± 
9 

5± 
36 


"56"" 

18 

2 

. 9 

12 

4 

...... 

""6" 

"6" 
6 

"hi 

"b" 
2 

2§ 
3h 

"u" 
"io"" 


179 


Trenton 


Geo. J. Safiord 


1904 


180 


Washington Junction. . . 
West Sullivan 


H. B. Phillips 


181 


J. Clapham ... 


1889 


6 


Drilled 

Old mine 
shaft. 


182 


do 


V. B. Gordon. . 


183 


Kennebec County. 
Albion 


A. S. Besse 

G. P. Sanborn 


1876 
1898 
1889 
1889 
1889 
1890 
1880 
1891 
1890 


7 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 


184 


Augusta 


Drilled 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


185 


Farmingdale 


H. M. Hodgdon 


186 


... .do 


Tibbetts & Sawyer 


187 


.. .do 


Charles Trask 


188 


Gardiner 


Chas. Hopkins 


189 


Hallowell 


H. G. Vaughan . . 


190 


Litchfield 


Harlan P. King . 


191 


Pittston . . . .. 


C. C. Libbie . . .. 




... .do 


192 


.do 


B. E. Moody... 


5 
5 
5| 


do 

do 

do 

do 


193 


. . .do 


do ' ... 




194 


do 


L. E. Moody. . . 


1890 
1886 
1902 
1902 
1904 

1899 

1901 
1904 
1880 
1904 
1906 
1895 


195 


Sidney .... 


J. J. Fry e . .... 


196 


do 


G. F. Bowman 


6 


do 

... .do 


197 


Vassalboro . .... 


American Woolen Co ... 


198 


Winslow 


J. L. Dean 


6 
6 
6 

1 

6 
6 
6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


199 


do 


HoUingsworth & Whitney Co.c . 
do 


200 


.. .do 


201 


do... 


Ralph Simpson ... 


202 


do 


J. P. Taylor 


203 


do 


Chas. Withie... 


204 


Winthrop 


C. M. Bailey Sons & Co 


205 


do 


C. H. Gale 


206 


do 


do 


207 


do 


do 






do 


208 


do 


do 


1899 
1903 
1905 
1890 
1893 
1889 
1898 

1900 
1906 

1905 
1891 


6 

8 
8 

? 

6 

6 
6 

6 
6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


?m 


do 

do 

Winthrop Center 

do 

doi 


H. P. Hood & Son 


210 


Frank S. Wood 


211 
?1? 


C. I. Bailey and J. Briggs 

C. M. Bailey 


213 


E. A. Bailey 


?14 


do 


Mrs. Hannah J. Bailev 


?15 


Knox County. 
Appleton 


F. J. Oakes 


216 


Crescent Beach 

High Island 


F. M. Smith 


217 


W. Gray & Sons 


?18 


North Haven 

do 


H. W. Chaplin 


?iq 


W. A. Gaston 


?.?0 


do 

do 

do 


Lewis Herzog 


1905 
1904 
1896 
1893 


6 


do 

. .do 


221 


Henry Jackson.. 


99.9 


F. S. Mead 




. . .do 


??3 


do 


Nelson Mullen 


6 


do 

do 


994 


do 

do 

do 


Chas. S. Rackeman 


??o 


F H Smith 


1893 
1902 
1902 
1903 
1895 

1891 
1900 
1906 

1894 

1894 


6 

6 

6 

5| 

H 

6 
I 

6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


9'>(^ 


C, S. Staples and J. M. Howe... 
do 


991 


do 


228 


... .do 


C. G. Wells 


229 


do 


do ". 


230 


do 


do 


?,S1 


Rockland 


Rockland Machine Co 

Ricker Hotel Co. (Hotel Samoset) 

J. B. Aldrich 


232 


Rockland Breakwater... 

Tenants Harbor 

do 


234 


Wm. S. Richardson 



a 7 wells along a 90-foot line. 



RECORDS OF DEEP WELLS. 



247 



Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued . 



Depth to principal water 
supply (feet). 


.2 

ft 
ft 

s 

w 
« 

o 
p 

ft 

© 


® 

0) 


Material in 

which water 

occurs. 


Average height to which 
water rises ( -f above, 
— below, well mouth). 


Quality. 


Yield (gallons per min- 
ute). 


How obtained, 
where used. 


Use, or if not used, the 
reason why. 


No. 


85 






- 9 

- 10 


Sulphur 

Good 


14 
20 


Not used 




178 




Hand pump 


Domestic and stock... 


179 












180 


40 




61 




- 8 


Mineral ...... 


5 


Not used 

Siphon 


Bad taste 


181 


Boilers 

Domestic 


182 


25 
180 
104 
75 
53 
25 
70 
50 
63 
10 


10 




- 35 
-400 

- 7 

- 9 

- 9 


Hard 




Windmill 

do 


183 


Granite 

Slate 

do........ 


Soft 


few 
5 

5i 
20 
many 


Lrigation 


184 




do 

do 

do 

Medium 

Hard 


Pump 


Domestic and stock. . . 
Milk farai 


185 


• 


Hand pump 

do 


186 




.do 


Domestic and stock. . . 
... .do 


187 




Schist 


Windmill 


188 


20 
30 


Slate 

do.. 


- 15 


Not used 

Pump 


Poor water 


189 






Domestic. . 


190 




- 9 

- 4 


Soft 


10 


Hand pump 

Not used 

do 


Domestic and stock. . . 

Drilled for ore 

do 


191 









19? 










193 


132 
230 

70 


77 




- 9 


Soft 


8 


Hand pump 


Domestic and stock. . . 


194 


Slate 




195 




do. . 


- 30 

- 14 

- 27 

- 7 

- 8 


Soft 


1^- 


Windmill 


Domestic 


196 







do. 


197 








Slate 

dn 


Little hard. . . 


60 


Hand pump 

Airlift 


Domestic and irriga- 
tion. 

Cooling acid, but now 
abandoned. 

Drinking. . . . 


198 


• 






199 


63 


do. 






Hand pump 


200 


do.... 








901 




do 




Hard, iron. .. 


15 

few 

50 


Hand pump 


Drinking and stock. . . 


90? 




do 




903 


300 
25 






Schist 

do 


- 9 

- 12 


Good 


Steam pump 

Windmill 

do 


Boilers . . 


904 






Pubhc supply 

do 


205 


1 do 


Good 




?06 




do 




do 




do 


do 


?07 




! . do 


- 20 

- 7 

- 20 

- 7 

- 27 

- 3 

- 50 

- 10 

- 2 


Hard 

Good 

do 

do 

do 


many 
25 
4 
20 
30 
12 
15 

15 
6 

72 


Siphon 


do 


208 


100 

"""183 
112 


1 do 


Steam pump 

Electric pump... 

Windmill 

Steam pump 

Windmill 

do 


Creamery 

Domestic 

Domestic and stock. . . 

Boilers 

Domestic and stock. . . 
.do 


209 




100 
195 


do 

do 

do.. 


210 
211 

912 




15 


do 

do... 


918 


Good 


914 


60 






Soft 


Not used 




215 






Complex. 

do 


Variable 


Windmill and 
gasoline en- 
gine. 


Public supply 


216 










917 


175 




- 25 


Little hard. . . 


Windmill 


Domestic 


218 




219 




; 




Poor ... . 


U 


Abandoned 

Gasoline engine. 
Windmill 


Ruined by accident. . . 

Domestic 

do 


220 




1 




Soft 


221 


125 
118 


1 Trat) 




Hard 

Little iron 

Good 


10 


992 




67 


do 

do 


— 7 


Hotel and 5 cottages... 


223 




994 


116 










Soft 


4 
drv 

"^ 

20 

2.1 
40"' 
10 


Windmill 

Not used 

do 

Windmill 

Windmill and 
hot-air engine. 

Windmill 

Not used 

do 

Windmill 

do 


Domestic and stock. . . 

No water 

Too little water 

Domestic 

Cottage and yachts 

do 

Toosaltv 

Too little water for 
hotel. 

Domestic 

do 


225 






22t; 


64 

68 

140 

112 
90 

185 

50 
66 




- 14 

- 35 

- 9 

- 9 

- 20 


Hard 

Medium 

Hard 

Salty 

Soft 


227 




228 


I 


229 




230 




231 




2.^2 






Gneiss 

do 


- 12 
20 


Soft 


233 






Hard 


... . 
2 


234 



248 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 
Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued. 



No. 


Locality. 


Owner. 


s 

P. 

a 

o 
o 


i 
1 

5 


Type. 


0) 

•2 

! 

n 


2 
B 


?,%■> 


Knox County— Cont'd. 
Thomaston 


Thomaston Brick Co 






Drilled 

do 

do 


386 
125 
220 
185 
120 
203 
181 
225 
180 
196 

95 

50 

109 

75 

70?. 
52" 
621 
65 
40 
50 
130 
100 

im 

83 
100 

55 

87^ 

50 
157 
154 

84 
120 

51 

72§ 

72 
118| 

119 

621 

91 
119 
250 

95 

85 

88^ 

76 

33 
140 

33 
142^ 

84 
105 
114 
300 

m 

42 

55 

51 
102 

56 
200 

41 


12 
2J 

5 


4 

5 
3 
6 

3 

4 
12 
18 

...... 

16 

22 







""25' 
12 

}:o 

""2 
"2 


3 


10 

" '6" 





12 

9 

"""3" 

'""6" 

35 

9 



....„ 




'"io" 

2 


?M 


Vinalhaven 


Bodwell Granite Co 


1880 
1903 


6 


?37 


do 


Wm. B. Clark and others 

H. L. Fransis ' 


?3S 


do 


6 

51 

4 

51 

6 

6 

6 

6 
6 
6 

6 

6 
6 
6 
6 

"h' 

6 
6 

e 

6 


6 
4 
6 
5 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6^- 

6 

5 

5.^ 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
4 
6 
6,5 
6 

6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

■ do 

do 

do 

Drilled 

do 

do 

do 

do.. = ... 

Drilled!!.".!! 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


?3Q 


do 


J. M. Howe . . 


1897 
1904 
1897 
1903 
1899 
1903 

1905 
188.5 
1906 

1901 

1905 

1905 

1906 

1896 ± 

"i902' 
1902 
1902 
1901 
1903 
1902 
1902 
1902 
1905 
1891 
1891 
1905 
1904 
1904 
1904 
1904 
1905 

1904 
1890 
1884 
1880 
1901 
1904 
1892 

1892 
1902 
1901 
1901 


?40 


do 


Sanborn, Glidden and Raymond. 
Alex. Strong 


?41 


do 


94?. 


do 


Vinal Haven Fish Co 


?43 


do 


G. W. Wheelwright 


?44 


Warren 


Warren Water Co 


?45 


Washington 


A. E. Poland 


?4fi 


"\\'est Rockport 


Oscar Gould 


5^47 


Widows Island 


Maine Insane Hospital 


?48 


Lincoln County. 

Birch Island . South 

Bristol. 
Bristol.. 


E. A. Means 


249 


H. E. Cotton 


250 


Bristol Mills 


J. M'. r. Goudy 

•T. C. Hyson 


251 


.do 


25'' 


Cooper Mills 


Cbas. H. Ashford ,. 


252a 
253 


Christmas Cove 

do 

do... 

do.._ 

do 


D. Y. Comstock 

G. K. Denuett 


254 


T. 0. Little & Son 


255 


W. E. Little 


256 


A.T.Thorpe 


257 


do 


A. S. Warner 

Everett Westcott 


258 


. .do . -. 


259 
260 


do 

Damariscotta . . 

Damariscotta Mills. . 

East Boothbav 


E F. Wilder 

Mrs. G. C. Chapman. .... 


261 


G. W. Waltz 


262 


Ammonia W orks 


263 


do 


do 


264 


do 


Fred Curtis 

Ilodgdon Bros 


265 


... .do 


266 


do 


Captain Race 


267 


do 


Frank Rice 


268 


do 


Frank L. Weston 


269 


Hodgdons Island, Bris- 
tol. 

Inner Heron Island 

do 


Stratton 


270 


Wm. C. Damon 


271 


Heron Island Co 


272 


Jefferson 


Abram Brann 


273 


.do 


L. R. Hodgkins 


274 


Linekin Neck 


F. C. lyowden 


275 


do 

Newcastle 


John A. Roval 


276 


J. M. Glidden 


277 


do 


W. T. Glidden 


278 


do 


S. D. Wyman 


279 


New Harbor 


E. W. Fossett 


280 


-do 


F. A. Fossett . . 


281 


do 


C. T. Poland 


282 


North Boothbav 

North Edgeconib 

North Whitefield 

do 


Paul Conklin 


1904 
1905 
1889 
1889 
1903 

1904 
1901 
1900 
1901 
1902 
1901 


283 
284 


F. R.Curtis 

John Dowden 


285 


A. R. G. Smith 


286 


Ocean Point. . . 


L. J. Crocker 


287 


do 


Emerson 


288 


Pemaquid Beach 

Pemaquid Point 

do 

South Bristol 

South Newcastle 

Squirrel Island 

Waldoboro 


C. A. Sproul 


289 


Chamberlain & Elliott 


290 


W. .\. Elliott 


291 


N. W. Gamaee 


292 


Mrs. C. A. McMichael 


293 


K. H. Richards .. 


294 


R. L. Benner 


1902 


6 


do 



EECOEDS OF DEEP WELLS. 
Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued. 



249 



1 


.1 

CO 

t- • 
(US' 

& 
ft 


Material in 

which, water 

occurs. 


Average height to which 
water rises ( 4- above, 
— below, well mouth). 


Quality. 




How obtained, 
where used. 


Use, or if not used, the 
reason why. 


No. 






Limestone. . . 

Granite 

do 


■-■3' 


Hard 

do 


4 






235 


50 





Gasoline engine. 

Pump 

Windmill 

do 

Hand pump 


Granite dressing 

Washing 

Cottage and yacht 

4 cottages 


236 


Brackish 




237 


iso 

115 

60 

175 

215 






-14 
-10 
-27 
- 7 
-30 
-15 
4- 5 

-22 




10 
22 

i 

25 

20 

5 

100 

8 


238 


50,75 


Trap 

Granite 

Trap 

Granite 

Trap 


Medium 

Hard 


239 


Domestic 

do 


240 


Soft 


241 


Alkaline 

Hard 


Gasoline engine. 

Windmill 

Windmill and 
gasoline en- 
gine. 

Hand pump .... 


Canning factory 

Domestic and stock. . . 
Public supply 


242 
243 


165 

95 
27 
70 

73 




Soft 


244 


40 


Complex 

... do. 






245 


Soft 


do 


Domestic and stock. . . 
Domestic. . 


246 


40,100 
30 




- 5 

-12 

-30 

-15 

- 9 


Hard 


3 

2 

1 

1 
5 


Gasoline engine. 
Hand pump 


247 


Complex 

do. . . . 


Soft 


Domestic 


248 




do 


249 


52 
50 


35 


do 

do 


Good 

Iron 


Hand pump 


do 


250 


do 


Domestic and stock 

Drinking 


251 


; Gneiss 


do 


do 


252 




' ComDlfx i ! 








252a 


50 

128 

86 

94 


do 

60 
50 


do 

do 

do 

do 


-40 

- 6 
-20 

- 8 
-52 
-25 

- 5 
-14 
-14 

- 6 


Hard 


12 
2 


Hand pump 

Windmill 

do 

Not used 

Windmill 

Hot-air piunp... 

Hand pump 

Windmill 

Hand pump 

Not used 


Domestic 

Summer hotel 


253 


Soft 


254 


do 

Good 


do 

Hotel burned 


255 
256 




do 


Hard, good... 




Domestic 

do 

do 

Domestic and stock. . . 
Domestic 

Works abandoned 

Domestic 

do 

do 


257 


92 


40 


do 

do 


Soft 




258 


Good 

do 

Soft 

Mineral 


many 

many 
3J 


259 


57 
47 

56 




do 


260 




Granite 

Complex 


261 

(262 

1263 

264 


47 




Granite 


- 3 


Good 


many 


Hand pump 


265 
266 


75 

65 

117 

115 
60 
25 


34 


Granite 

do 


-35 


Hard 


many 
many 
5 

many 


Hand pump 

do 


do 

do 


267 


Good 


268 


85 


Complex 

do 

do 

do 


- 6 

- 4 
-60 

-30 




269 


Iron 


Hand pump 

Windmill 

Hand pump 

do 


Domestic 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Domestic and stock . . . 

Domestic, stock and 
irrigation. 

Domestic 

Farm 

Domestic and stock. . . 


270 


do 


271 


do 




272 


do 




273 


248 
85 
85 

84 
40 


33,83 




Soft 


10 


Steam pimip 

Hot-air engine. . . 
do 

do 

Hand pump 

..do 


274 


Schist 


Good 


275 


Complex 

do 

do 

do. 


-11 

-34 
-15 

- 6 
-16 

- 5 


Soft 


7 

7 
many 


276 


Medium 

Hard 


277 

278 


Iron 


279 


134 


16,85 


do 

do 


Hard 




do 


2S0 


Iron 






281 
















282 


84 

90 

114 






-20 
-39 
- 4 
-15 


Hard 

Soft 


8 

9 

21 

10 


Hand pump 

do 

do 

Windmill and 
gasoline en- 
gine. 


Domestic 

Domestic and stock . . . 
Domestic 

7 cottages 


283 


30 
39, 77 




284 


Complex 

do 


do 

Good 


285 
286 






do 


Domestic 

Stock 

Domestic 

Hotel 

Domestic 

Too little water 

Domestic 


287 


30 


12 


do 

do 


- 6 

- 4 

- 4 
-65 

- 1 


Salty 


i 


Hand pump 

... .do. 


288 
289 


50 
100 
56 
40 
•38 


20 
36 


Granite 

Complex 

do 




many 


do 

do 


290 


Hard, iron. . . 


291 


Soft 


3i 
^ 


Abandoned 

Not used 

Hand pump 


292 




Granite 




293 


do 


- 3 


iiard 


294 



250 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 
Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued . 



No. 


Locality. 


Owner. 


"6 

a 

o 
o 


0) 

o 

i 

5 


Type. 


1 
Q 


4.3 
1 

2 
B 
■B 

Q 


295 


Lincoln County— Cont'd. 
Waldoboro 


E. F. Genthner 


1902 
1902 
1905 
1905 
1904 


6 
6 
6 
6 



6 


Drilled 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

.....do 

do 

do 


56 

156 

110 

100 

48 

154 

70 

154 

80 

50 

64 

95 

79 

115 
62 

102 

73 

22-35 

122 

117 
52 
89 

290 

217 
188 

72 

203 

425 

57 

247i 

77' 

120 

255 

201 

54 

197 

61 

350 

250 

66 

58 

75 

50 

105 

190 
61 
59 

108 
70 
58 

112 

465 

79 
57 
63 
55 
54 
80 
57 


4 

24 

6 



6 

7 

6 
20 
3 

"'"'24 

17 

7 

20 
n. r. 

50 

42 



6 

50 

6 


14 

"""so 



" " " "59 
"""66 

""'io 



40 

4 

3| 



24 

5 

8 

5 

9 

6 
60 
56 


?% 


do 


Waldoboro Water (^o 

E. M. Woodman 

Lincoln Bailey 


9.97 


Walpole 


9.9H 


Wisoasset 


WQ 


do 


S. B. Cromwell 


300 


do 

do 

do 

do 


John Dow 


301 


W. G.Hubbard 

Lincoln County (jail) 


1890 


303 


A. R. Smith 


1905 
1904 
1890 
1905 
1905 

1890 


304 


do 


J. P. Tucker 


6 
5 
6 

6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

Drilled 

do 


305 


do 


Turner Center Creamery 

do 


30f> 


do 


307 


do 


U. S. Government (custom- 
house). 

L. W. Atkinson 


30K 


Oxford Cmmty. 

North Fryeburg 

North Norway 

do ■ 

Riunford Falls 

do 


309 


Charles A. Merrill 


310 


do 


1891 
1901 
1904 

1890 
1906 
1906 




-do 


311 
312 


CM. Bisbee and R.J. Virgin , . . 
Rum ford Falls Light and Water 
Co. 

J. Frank ITowland 

Mason Manufacturing Co 

George R. Morton 

Walter Evans 


8,6 
2^ 

12 
6 
6 


do 

Driven 

Drilled 

do 

do 

do 


313 
314 


South Paris 

do 


315 


do 


316 


Sweden 

Penobscot County. 
Bangor 


317 


H. C. Chapman & Son (Bangor 

House). 

City of Bangor (high school) 

City of Bangor (Larkin st. 

school). 
City of Bangor (Palm st. school). 
City of B angor ( Unionsq .school ) . 
Eastern Maine Insane Hospital. . 
Foster & Scribner. 


1899 

1906 
1906 

1906 
1906 
1896 


6 

6 
6 

6 
6 
6 


Drilled 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


318 


do 


319 


do 


320 


. ..do 


321 
322 
323 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


324 
325 


F. L. Jones 

Thomas McAlloan 


1905 


6 


do 

do . ..-. 


326 


do 


Maine Creamery Co 






do 


327 
328 
329 


do 

do 

Bradford 

do 

do 

Brewer 

do 

Carmel 

do 

do 

Charleston 


Morse & Co 

Penobscot County courthouse. . . 
W. E. Bailey. . .'. 


1906 
1905 
1882 
1895 
1885 
1899 
1899 
1902 
1902 
1900 


6 
5 

8 
8 
6 
6 
6 
6 
7 
6 


do 

do 

Bored 

Drilled 

do 

.....do 

do 

do 

do 

Bored 

Drilled 

do 

do 


330 
331 
332 
333 
334 
335 
336 
337 


J. J. Reeves 

H. T. Williams 

Eastern Manufacturing Co 

do 

H. W. Garland 

J. E. Hasey 

0. A. Stevens 

Charles Elden. . 


338 


do 


Higgins Classical Institute 




6 


339 


do 


A. H. Mitchell 




340 


Corinna 


N. Reed Packard 

A. J. Richardson 

P. H. Simpson 

L H. Sawyer 

James Cole 

E. D. Rowell 


1904 

1884 
1888 
1890 
1895 
1887 
1899 

1887 


7,6 
6 


do 

do 

do 


341 


do 


342 


do 


343 


Corinth 




do 


344 


Dexter 


6 

6 
6 

6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


345 


Dixmont 


346 


East Corinth 


Northern Maine Packing Co 

L. D. Babb. . 


347 


East Newport 


348 


do 


J. B. Chadbourne. . . . 


349 


do 


J. P. Chadboume 






do 


350 
351 
352 
353 


do 

Etna 

..;..do 

do 


CM. Loud 

H. L. Grove 

G. B. Hibbard 

G. A. Sanborn 


1883 
1897 
1900 
1890 


6 
6 
6 
6 


do 

do 

do 

do 



EECOEDS OF DEEP WELLS. 



251 



Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued. 



1 

^ . 

ftCu 
Xi m 


.2 

& 



Material in 

which water 

occurs. 


Average height to which 
water rises (+ above, 
— below, well mouth). 


Quality. 


c 

u 

II 

•a 
■© 


How obtained, 
where used. 


Use, or if not used, the 
reason why. 


No. 


48 
150 
106 

90 


37 
17 

"'"35 


Granite 

do 

Complex 

do 

do 


- 27 

- 26 

- 12 

- 20 

- 8 


Soft 


5| 
5 


Hand pump — 
Not used 


Domestic 

Never completed 

Drinking and stock . . . 
Domestic and stock. . . 

do 

Drinking and stock. . . 
Domestic and stock . . . 
Drinking and stock. . . 
Domestic 


295 




296 


Hard 


297 


Good 


Windmill 

Hand pump 

do 


298 


Little iron 


5 


299 




do 


300 


68 


18 


do 

do 


- 20 


Hard 

do 


15± 


Gasolene engine. 

Hand pump 

do 


301 
302 




15 


do 

.. ..do 


- 10 

- 50 

- 8 

- 3 

- 12 

- 17 


Good 




303 


do 




do 


Domestic and stock. . . 
Salty water 


304 


56 




do ... 


Salty 


Abandoned 

Steam pump 

Hand pump 

Windmill 

Hand pump 


305 




do 


Brackish 




Cooling cream 


306 


79 


72 


do 


Hard 

Hard 


8 


Domestic 


307 


Domestic and stock. . . 


308 








few 
few 
few 


309 












310 


25 

a 20 

55 


Granite 

Sand and 
gravel. 

Complex 

Granite 

Complex 

Trap 

Slate 

do 


- 20 

- 50 

- 60 

- 1 

- 17 

100 




isTot used 

Steam pump 

Not used 


Too little water 

Public supply 


311 


Soft 


312 






Too little water 

Drinking and boilers. . 
Domestic 


313 


Good 

Soft 


40 


314 


46 
79 

280 


-100 




315 


Hard .... 




Not used 

Pump. . 


Strong taste 


316 


Hard. . 


27 

many 
30 

many 
many 
30 
many 
many 
many 


Hotel •. 


317 


Good . 


Hand pump 

do . . . 


Drinking 


318 





. .do. 


- 8 


do 

do. 


do 


319 




.. .do. 


.do 


do 


320 




do 




do.. 


. .do 


do 


321 


425 


50 


do 

do 


-200 


Good, hard... 

Good 

do 

do 


Steam pump 

Hand pump 

do 


Domestic 


322 


Drinking 


323 


247i 




do 


- 22 


do 


324 




do 




325 






do 


- 10 
+ 2 

- 50 

- 19 

- 20 

- 15 

- 21 

- 20 

- 16 

- 12 

- 25 


do 




Cooling cream and sold 
Domestic _ 


326 


255 
60 
35 
20 
58 
21 
50± 
50 
12 
50 


17 
80 


do 

do 

.. .do. 


Soft, good 






Hand pump 

Electric pump... 
Hand pump 

do 


327 


Hard... 




Drinking 


328 


. .. do 




Public well 


329 




... .do. 


do 

do 

Salty... 


few 


Domestic 


330 




do. 


1 - ...do 

\ ^ f Steam pump 

1 \..-.do 

2 Hand pump 

do 


Domestic and stock. . . 
Cooling acid 


331 




do.. 


332 




do 


Hard... 


.do 


333 




do 


do 

Soft 


Domestic 


334 




do 




335 




do 


Hard 


3i . do 


Domestic 


336 




do 








337 


ioo 


do 

do 


- 8 




15 

many 
4 
3 


Siphon 


Domestic for 4 build- 
ings. 


338 


Good 


339 


ei 

59 
20 
20 
53 
112 
450 

70 


20, 30 
" " '35 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


- 15 

- 18 

- 15 

- 20 

- 20 
few 

- 6 

- 15 

- 55 

- 17 

- 15 

- 10 

- 20 

- 10 


Hard 


Windmill 

do 

Abandoned 

Hand pump 

do 


Domestic and stock... 

Domestic 

Poor water 

Farm 

Domestic 

Domestic and stock. . . 
Drinking and canning. 

Domestic and stock . . . 

Domestic 

.do 


340 


do 

Hard, salty.. 
Soft 


341 
342 
343 


Hard 

Hard, alkaline 
Sulphur and 

iron. 
Soft 


few 


344 




do 


do 


345 




do 


20 
30 


Steam pump 

Windmill 


34t) 


35 


do 

do....r.. 


347 


Hard.... 


348 


...do 


... do 






349 




do 


Fair 




Hand pump 

do 


Domestic and stock. . . 
do 


350 


50 
80 
60 


20 
50 
41 


do 

do 

do 


Soft 


15 


351 


Hard 


do 


do 


352 


Little iron 




do 


Farm 


3.')3 



a Average. 



252 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 
Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued. 



No. 


Locality. 


Owner. 


03 

i 


i 

o 

i 

5 


Type. 




Depth to rock (feet). 


354 

355 
356 
357 
358 
359 


Penobscot County — Con. 

Hampden 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Hampden Comers 

do 

Hudson 

Kenduskeag 

Xe-«-port 

;!!;!do;;!;;!;;;;;;;;;!;; 

North Dixmont 

do 

do 

do 

Orono 

do 

do 

Orrington 

Plymouth 

...:.do 

Stetson 

do 

Sagadahoc County. 

Bath 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Bowdoinham 

Five Islands 

Georgetown 

McMahans Island 

Pejepscot Mills 

do 

Popham Beach 

do 

Richmond 

do 

Small Point. . . 


A.J. Bragg 

Cyrus Moulton 

C: L. Philbrick 

J. E. Shaw 

Village of Hampden 

J. F. Maddocks 


1898 
1901 
1899 
1889 
1900 


7 
6 
6 
6 
5 
6 


Drilled 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


103 

85 

50 
100 
122 
65 
100 

66 
109 

53 

75 
100 

76 

75 

55 

55 

54 

53 

54 

50 
66 
?3 
100± 
74 

100+ 
57 
167 
149 
100 

200 

180 
124 
242 

270 

2A6h 

335' 

40 
962 

91 

42 

65 
100 

98 

98 

53 

96 

91 
77 

26 
157 
80 
80 
47 
49 
52 

81 

187 

51 


"' "26 
2 

'" "52 


9 

3 

'"'52 

4 
10 
50 
n. r. 
50 
25 

n. r. 

6 

3 

6 





27 



1 

1 

1 

o| 
11 

6 

6 


5 


7 

10 

43, 





8 



""12 


360 
361 
36? 


J. E. Shaw 

Geo. H. Smith 

Chester \Yeld 


1886 
1887 


6 do 

6 do 

do 


363 
364 
36.5 


Frank Bennett 

W. D. Crowell 

Ed\\in W. Trueworthy 


1889 
1891 


6 
6 
6 
6 

4i 
51 
6 

"& 
6 

7 
6 
6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Dug 

Drilled 

do 

do 

do 

do 

. .do 


366 


Thos. L. Bragden .' 




367 
368 
369 
370 
371 
372 

373 
374 
375 
376 


S. E. Harris 

do 

Chas. 0. Vamey 

N. W. Page...: 

E. W.Mansfield 

Uniyersity of Maine 

Archie Harding 

H. M. Gage...^ 

H. W. Stackpole 

R. A. Fitts ... 


1896 
1897 
1895 
1903 
1890 
1886 

1894 
1896 
1893 


377 

378 
379 
380 
381 
382 

383 


F. E. Wiggin 

Bath Iron Works 

George Connell 

W. J. Donald 

J. E. Dunton's heirs 

C. A. Hooker 

H. Langdon 


1878 

1885 

1887 
1883 
1885 
1893 

1883 

1885 


12 

4 
6 
6 
6 
4 

6 

4 


do 

Drilled 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


384 
385 


Torrey Roller Bushing Works... 
Mrs. George L. Hincklev 


386 

387 

388 


George E. Hughes " 

William Wade 

Sheepscot Land Co. . 


1900 
1904 


6 

6 
6 


do 

do 

do 

do 


389 


Pejepscot Paper Co 




390 


do 






do 


391 


Tibbetts 






. ..do 


39-^ 


Fort Popham 






. ..do 


393 
394 


Eugene Rankins 

Frank Williams 

George 0. Curtis 

Lincoln Bailey 

F. W. Carleton 

J. Collins 

George G. Hathom 


1885 
1885 
1904 
1905 
1892 
1887 
1897 

1884 
1901 


5 


do 

do 


395 


6 
6 
6 
6 
6 

8 
6 

6 

6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Drilled 

do 

do 

do ' 

do 


396 


\\ oohvich 


397 
398 
399 


do 

do 

do 


400 
401 

40? 


Somerset County. 

Fairfield 

Xorridgewock 

do 


- 

F. C. Tobey 

F.H. Burrell 

Guy C. Hajmes 


403 


Palmyra 


Perry Furbush 




404 


d6 


do 




405 


do 

Pittsfield 

St. Albans 

Skowhegan 


do 




6. 


do i 

do i 


406 


W. R. Hunnewell ' 




407 


J. L. Palmer 


1897 
1880 


8 


do 

do 


408 


Leyi P. Weston. 


409 


Waldo County. 
Belfast 


W. E. Whitcomb 


6 
10,8' 


Drilled 

do 


410 


Belmont 


Horace Chenery 


1905 


411 


Brooks 


Jerome Geness 



RECORDS OF DEEP WELLS. 



253 



Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued. 



t^ 




0) 


0) 






c3 




^ . 


ft 


c3 -u 


3 


^9. 








O'" 




^^ 




■c >^ 


ftp. 




o a 


+J 


,C f/) 


;!::: 


+5 




ft 


ft 


a> 


<x> 


O 






Material in 

which water 

occurs. 






<1 



Quality. 



ft 

C (33 
C3 



How obtained, 
where used. 



Use, or if not used, the 
reason why. 



No. 



30 



74 



50 
160 



60 

20 

50 

242 



50 



40 



25 



20 



130 



Slate . . 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

Gravel. 
Slate.. 
do. 



-13 
- 5 
-30 
-20 



Soft 

Hard 

Hard, iron. 
Medium. .. 
Hard 



do. 

do. 

Sand . . 



Slate. 



Gneiss. 
....do. 



Gneiss. 



Gneiss. 



Granite. 



Gneiss. 
....do. 



Complex . 
do... 



Complex. 
Gneiss. . . 



Gneiss. 



Slate.. 
do. 



■10 



■48 



-24 
-16 
-25 
-20 
-22 
-44 
few 
-30 
-15 
few 



-30 



-30 



- 3 

- 7 
-30 

- 

-20 
-20 



-50 



-20 



.do. 
.do. 



.do. 



Slate.. 
do. 



Slate.. 

do. 

do. 



- 7 

- 8 



- 3 



Hard 

Iron 

Soft 

Hard 

..-..do 

do 

do 

Poor 

Soft 

Hard, good. 

Hard 

....do 



many 



Good many 

Hard I 

Good 



Poor. 



Soft... 
Hard.. 
do. 





few 



4 
30 



Soft. 



Hard.. 

do. 

Soft... 



Soft... 
Good.. 
do. 



Hard, iron 
do 



Little hard. 
Hard 



40 
1 



few 
4 



few 
many 



12 
2 



Hard. 



Hard. 



Hard.. 
Soft... 
....do. 



Hand pump Domestic 

do do.. . 

Pump 1 do. . . 

Hand pump do 

Not used 

Hand pump 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Windmill 

Handpiunp 

do 

Windmill 

Hand pump 

Windmill and 
electric motor. 

Hand pump 

Windmill 

do 

Not used 

Hand pump 



Drinking and stock. 
Domestic and stock. 

....do 

Domestic 

....do 



Abandoned 

Hand pump.... 

Abandoned 

Not used 

Steam pump.. 

Windmill 



Steam pump 

Not used 

E 1 e ctric-motor 
pump. 



Hand pimip. 

do 

Not a well. . . 



Hand pump 
do 



Abandoned . 
Hand pump. 

....do 

...-do 



Hand pump. 
Never used. . 



Siphon 

Not used 

Hand pump. 

....do 

Not used 

Windmill. .. 



Domestic and stock. 

....do 

Domestic 

....do 

....do 

Domestic and stock. 

Domestic 

....do 



Domestic and stock. 

Farm 

Domestic and stock. 

No water 

Stock 



City water installed . . . 378 
Domestic 379 



354 
355 
356 
357 
358 
359 
360 
361 
362 
363 
364 
365 
366 
367 
368 
369 
370 
371 
372 

373 
374 
375 
376 
377 



City water installed . . 

do 

Formerly used in boil- 
ers. 

Domestic and irriga- 
tion. 

Bushing works 

Pump broken 

Domestic 



Domestic 

do 

Prospecting for coal . . 



Domestic 

Stock and la\vn . 



Poor water 

Domestic and stock. . 

Farm 

Domestic and stock. . 



Domestic 

Never installed; deep- 
well pump. 
Domestic and stock. . . 

No water 

Stock 

....do 



Abandoned City water installed . 



Dairy and stock. 



19 Steam pump Domestic and stock. 



380 
381 
382 

383 

384 
385 
386 

387 
388 
389 
390 
391 
392 
393 
394 
395 
396 
397 
398 
399 



400 
401 

402 
403 
404 
405 
406 
407 
408 



409 
410 
411 



254 



UNDERGROUND AVATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 
Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued. 



No. 


l.ot-ality. 


Owner. 


"E 

B 

o 


a; 
C 

s 


Type. 


4.3 


4J 
•J 
.2 

o 

O 

£> 
P 


412 


Waldo County— Cont'd. 
C&pe Jellison 


Northern Maine Seaport R . R . Co . 
. . ..do 


1905 
1905 


8,6 
6 


Drilled 

do 

do 


225 
158 

64 
168 

65 
100 
150 

78 
398 

218 
218 

50+ 
266 
165 
102 

70 
180 

66 

63 

60 
120 
200 
149 

220 

75 
150 
300 ± 
210 

65 

54 

50 

69 

71 
225 
125 
101 

70 

90 
198 
134 

73 
252 

53 

45 
285 

61 

50 
108 
3291 
301± 

97 
100 

64 

50 
247 
100± 

57 
115 

90 
49 
46 
72 
408 


70 ± 
99 
4 
65 
25 

"28" 

4 
9i 

"'hi' 

5 
10^ 

"is" 



8i 

"5" 

"i36" 
■""4" 

"is" 
12 

■■■y- 
"0" 

7i 
56 

5 

6 
62 

47 

4 

17 

105 

80 

10 

6 
34 
15 
74 

"e ' 

15 

"49" 

n. r. 

n. r. 




413 


.do 


414 


East Northport 


Mrs. Mark Mandall 


415 


.do 


Mountain Spring Water Co 

L. E. Prentiss 

E. R. Adams 

John T. .\tterburv 


1900 
1885 
1906 


6 
8 
6 


do 

do 

do 

. -do... . 


416 


East Trov 


417 


Islesboro 


418 


...do 


419 


...do 


George Bird 


1902 
1902 

1901 
1902 
1898 
1901 


6 
6 

6 

51 

6 

6 

6 

5i 

6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


420 


. ..do 


R. A. Boit 


421 


.do 


F. E. Bond 


422 


. .do 


11. E. Bond 


423 


....do 


J. R. Braekett 


424 


do 


Miss Caldwell 


425 


do 


Mrs. W. H. Draper 


426 


do. . .. 


Mrs. Draper . 


1899 
1900 


427 


do 


W. P. Famsworth 

J. Murray Forbes 


do 

do 


428 


do 


429 


do 


D. Hatch 

F. "W. Hatch 


1901 
1902 
1902 
1892 
1897 
1890 


6 
6 
6 


do 

do....... 

do 

do 


430 


.do. . 


431 


do 


P. D. Hatch 


432 


.do 


T. B. Homer 


433 


.do 


.do 




.do.. 


434 
435 


do 

do 


Islesboro Land and Improve- 
ment Co. 
Kissel 


6 


do 

do 


436 


do 


H. A. Lewis 


1900 
1903 




do 


437 


do 


M. E. Lewis 


6 


do 

do 


438 


do 


Mrs. Minton 


439 


do 

do 

..do 


H. "\V. Morse 


1901 
1901 
1901 


6 
5 
6 


do 

do 

do 

. ..do 


440 


Leighton Parks 


441 


Charles Pendleton 


442 


...do 


.do 


443 


do 


W. S. Pendleton 


1901 

1890 

1901 

1901- 

1898 


6 

51 

6 

6 

8 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


444 


do 

do 

do 

do 


Pendleton Bros 


445 


C. S. Pierce 


446 


Charles Piatt 


447 


Helen L. Pratt 


448 


do 

. .do 


E. S. Preble 


449 


F. C. Shattuck 


1900 
1902 
1901 
1887 
1902 
1885 
1885 

1890 
1882 
1904 
1905 




.do. . 


450 


.do 


H. T. Sloan. 


7.^ 
6' 
5i 
5| 
9,6 
'7 

7 

6 

6 

8,6 


do 

do 

do 

.....do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


451 


.do 


David H. Smith 


452 


do 

do 

Jackson 


To\^'n of Islesboro 


453 


J . D . "Winsor 


454 


M. S. Hatch 


455 


do 


E. E. Morton 


456 
457 


Kidders Point, Searsport 
Monroe 


Northern Maine Seaport R .R . Co. 
Nathan Steams 


458 


Searsport 


J. H. Knceland 


459 


do 


David Nickels 


460 
461 


do 

do 


Northern Maine Seaport R . R . Co . 
Penobscot Coal and "Wharf Co. . . 


462 


do 


Searsport House 


1894 
1886 
1887 
1892 
1905 


6 
6 
6 
6 

8,6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


463 


. ..do 


To^vn of Searsport 


464 


.. ..do 


N. W. Staples 


465 
466 


Stockton Springs 

do 


J. C. Lambert 

Northern Maine Seaport R.R. Co. 
A. H. Soden 


467 


do 


468 


"Winterport 


S. Chase 


1888 


6 
6 

6 
5 

4 
6 
6 


do 

do 


469 


do.. 


C. W. Nealey 


470 


WashiTi'jton County. 


F. N. Beckett 




471 


.. .do 


W. A. Rideout 

A. H. Chandler 

A. and R. Logie 


1882 
1905 
1904 
1903 




472 


Columbia Falls 


Driven 

do 

Drilled 


473 


do 


474 


Eastport 


Seacoast Caiming Co 



RECORDS OF DEEP WELLS. 



255 



Records of dee j) wells in southern Maine — Continued. 



^ . 

ft 

a; 


Depth to other supplies 
(feet). 


Material in 

which water 

occurs . 


Average height to which 
water rises (4- above, 
— below, well mouth). 


Quality. 


h 
I 


How obtained, 
where used. 


Use, or if not used, the 
reason why. 


No. 


225 
158 




Slate 

.do 


-20 




200 
12 


Electric motor. . . 
Abandoned 


Locomotives and ships 

Supplj^ insuificient 

Domestic 

Public supplv 


412 




413 




Schist 

do 

Slate 

do 


- 1 
-50 
-53 


Hard 


414 


112 
40 


75,100 
52 


Soft 


27 


Steam pump 

Hand pump 


415 


do 




416 




15 

15 

3 

10 


417 






do 




Good 






418 


35 
394 

218 
218 




.do 


-30 
-15 

-40 
- 4 


Hard 


Hot-air engine . . 
do 

Power pump 

Steam pump 

Hot-air engine.. 

Steam pump 

Hand pimip 

Gasoline engine. 
Hand pump 


Domestic 

Domestic and irriga- 
tion. 

Domestic 

Domestic and stock. . . 
do 

Domestic 

do 

do 

Stable 

Domestic 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


419 


200± 


do 

do 


do 

do 


420 
421 




do 


Medirnn 

Hard 


16 

8 

14 


422 




.do 


423 


260 

. 90 

. 99 

20 


55 


do 

.do. 


— 7 


Medium 

Hard 


424 
425 


do 

do 

...do 


-11 
- 


Medium 

Hard 


16 

3 

20 

8 
4 

li 

1 

li 

8 


426 
427 


Good 


428 


30 \ 

57 ! 

31 1 


. .do 




Hard 


Gasoline engine. 
Hot-air engine . . 

Pump 

Steam pmnp 

Hand piunp 


429 


do 

do 

do 


-17 

- 4 

-10 

—few 


do 

Soft 


430 
431 


Hard 


432 


50 


do 

do 


do 

do 


433 


Hot-air engine. . . 


Hotel and 10 cottages . 


434 






.. ..do 




Good 


435 






do 


-20 

- 8 


Hard 


4 
12 

few 


Hot-air engine. . . 
do 


Domestic 

do 


436 


150 




do 


do 


437 




do -. 




438 






do 


-50 
- 3 
-12 


Hard 


Hot-air engine. . . 
do 


Domestic 

.do 


439 






do 


do 

do 

Salty 


5 

4 


440 


24 




do 


do 


. ..do 


441 




do 






442 


22 
70 




..;..do - 


Iron 


6 
5 


Hand pump 

Steam pump 

Hot-air engine. . . 

Gas engine 


Store and mill 


443 




do 


— 5 

- 6 


Soft 


Gristmill 

Domestic and stock. .. 

Domestic 

do 


444 




do 


Hard 


445 


120 
20 


60 


do 


Soft 


14 


446 


do 


-10 


do 


447 




do 




many 


448 


1 


do 


- 5 
+ 
-20 
-12 
+ 
-20 
-13 
-16 

-41 
-20 
-19 
-20 
-12 
+ 

- 8 
-24 
-25 
-32 


Hard 




Domestic 

do 

do 


449 


190 
75 
73 

252 
50 

"284' 




do 




12 

10 

3 


Hot-air engine. . . 
Hand pump 


450 




do 


Hard 

do 


451 


'125*' 
25 
13 
80 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do.. 


do 


Public well 

Domestic .' 


452 




453 


Hard, iron 




Windmill 

Hand pump 

Electric powTr 

pump. 
Pmnp 


Domestic and stock. . . 
Farm 


454 


Hard 




455 


Soft 


75 


Locomotives and 

drinking. 
Domestic and stock . . . 

Drinking and stock 

Domestic 


456 


Hard, iron . . 
do 


457 


50 

329i 

300 
30 

100 
64 
40 

247 


24 
60 


do 

do 

.....do 


Hand pump 

do 


458 


Soft 


20 
60 
50 


459 


do 


Steam pump 

Windmill 

Pump 


Locomotives 


460 




do 


Domestic and boilers. . 
Hotel 


461 




do 

do 


Good 


463 


Hard, iron 




Public well 


462 




do 




4 


Hand pump 

do. 


Domestic and stock 

do ... 


464 




do 




465 


187 


do 

do 






Steam pump 


Locomotives 


466 








467 


53 
115 

40 
49 


30 


do 

do 


-30 
-50 

few 
-20 
-12 
-20 
+ 


Hard, iron 




Hand pump 

do 


Domestic and stock . . . 
Stock 


468 






469 










Not used 




470 






Soft . 




Pump 


Domestic 


471 




Gravel 

do 

Green stone. . 


Hard 

Soft 

Good, hard... 


4 

3 

60 


Windmill 


do 


472 


68 
345 


50 

408 


Steam pump 

Gas engine 


Canning factory 

do 


473 
474 



256 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE. 
Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued. 



No. 


Locality. 


Owner. 


'6 
ft 

a 

o 

o 

i 
>• 


? 

o 
C 


Type. 


to 


M 
o 
o 
u 

o 

ft 


475 


Washington County — 
Continued. 

Jonesport 

Lubec 

do 

North Lubec 


Seacoast Canning Co 


1904 


6 


Drilled 

do... . 


384 
165 
100 
60-70 
85± 
90± 
90± 

140 

65 

86| 

46 

28 

70 

97 
100 

58 
120 
100± 

80 

50 

75 

75 

55 

60 

70 
200 
300 

60 

51 
125 

75 

50 
100 
125 

50± 

73 
224 

85 
102 

68 

65 

250 

56 

61 
100 

90 

59 

60 

60 

60 
325 
150 




10 




18 
30 



""ie 



4 

""io 



" "26 

5 

2 

6 

""is 
5 

n. r. 
n. r. 

6 

6 

16 
2 



476 


Lubec Sardine Co 


477 


^^■ . J . Mahlman 


1893 


6 

6 

6,5 

6,5 


do 

do 

do 

do 

....do.. . 


478 


Seacoast Canning Co. a. . 


479 


Pembroke 


Gardiner Brick Co. 


1898 


480 


do 

Roque Island 


Sprague & Wylie 


481 


George A. Gardiner 




482 


york Count u. 
Alfred 








Drilled 

. ..do 


483 


Berwick 


Benjamin Bragdon estate . 






484 


.. ..do 


C. E. Marshall 


1898 


6 
6 
6 
6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


485 


Buxton 


J. M. Hopkinson 


486 


Cape Neddick 


C. B. Moseley 


1894 
1889 
1893 
1889 
1898 
1892 
1893 


487 


do 


W. H. Wentworth 


488 


Fortune Rock 


J. G. Brackett 


489 


do 


Davis 


6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 


490 


Gerrish Island 


S. E. Jennison 


491 


Kennebunk 

do 


Boston and Maine R. R 


492 


Dr. Ross 


493 


Kennebunk Beach 

Kennebunkport 

do 


C. W. Arnold 


494 


John W. Deering 




495 


Giles 


1886 
1886 
1889 
1885 
1885- 


496 


do 

do 


HaU 


497 


Kennebunkport Seashore Co 

Smith 


498 


do 

do 

Kittery 


499 


B. S. Thompson 


500 


U. S. Government (navy-yard) . . 


501 


. do . . 


do 






. ..do 


502 


Kittery Point 


Horace Mitchell 




6 
6 
6 


do 

do 

do : 

do 


503 


. . . . do 


Pepperell House 




504 


....do 


John Thaxter 


1887 


505 


....do 


Roland Thaxter 


506 


Lebanon Center 

Limerick 


N. B. Shapleigh 


1893 


6 


do 

do .... 


507 




508 


North Berwick 

Ocean Bluff 


A. P. Littlefleld 






do 


509 


Arlington Hotel 






do 


510 


do 


Sarah Bancroft 


1884 


6 


do 

do 


511 


do 

do 

do 

Ogunquit 


Mrs. Samuel H. Jones 


512 


Kennebunkport Seashore Co 






do 


513 


Ocean Bluff House 






do 


514 


Edward Freeman 






do 


515 


do 


Charles C. Hoyt estate 


1890 
1886 


6 

6 

8 


do 

do 


516 


Saco 


City of Saco 


517 


do 


Mason & Durgin 


518 


do 

Wells 


W. Warren (?) 






519 


A. P. Littlefleld 






DrUled 

do 

do....... 


520 


York 


Hugh Talant 




6 


521 


York Beach 


Dr. Clement 




522 


. ..do 


0. W. Hiidreth 




6 


do 

do 


523 


....do 


C. B. and W. C. Hiidreth 

York Beach Water Co 


1891 


524 


do 


6 
6 
6 


do 

do 

do 


525 


York Harbor 


E. S. Marshall 


1888 
1888 


526 


do 


York Harbor Hotel 









a Three wells. 



EECORDS OF DEEP WELLS. 



257 



Records of deep wells in southern Maine — Continued. 



1 

•r 3J 
S ^ 

ftp, 

o a- 

+-» 
ft 
aj 


Depth to other supplies 
(feet). 


Material in 

which water 

occurs. 


Average height to which 
water rises (+ above 
—below, well mouth). 


i 

i Quality. 

i 


1 

S 

u 
a; 
ft 

<»^ 

C a- 


How obtained, 
where used. 


Use, or if not used, the 
reason why. 


No. 






Diorite 

Greenstone . . 


— 7 


Hard 


2i 



1 


Hand pump 

Not used 

Abandoned 

Windmill 


Drinking 

Very little water 

City water installed. . . 
Canning factory 


475 








476 


96 




do 


-12 
- 1 


Good 

do 


477 




do . 


478 












479 










Good.... 








480 








.:.:..' do...;:::: 




GasoUne engine. 
Not used 


Domestic. 


481 


39 
65 






-34 




. 




482 




Slate 

do 


-12 
+ 

-24 


Poor 


many 


Abandoned 

do 


City water installed. . . 
do 


483 
484 


42 
27 


30 




iiard 


few 
30 




Domestic... 


485 


Slate 

do 


+ Soft 


Pnmp, . 


do 


486 


+ 2i 
-20 


do 


Windmill 

do.. 


Supplies 25 famiUes 

Domestic 

do... 


487 


97 
100 

56 
120 
100± 


'"""95 
30 


Granite 




few 
5 

24 
10 


488 






489 


Slate 


- 6 1 Soft 

- 3 1 




do... 


490 






491 





Granite 






492 




-20 
-10 




Not used 

Hand pump 


City water installed . . . 
Domestic 


493 










few 


494 










495 
















496 


50 


1 






Soft 


3 

few 
few 

15 
1 
* 
i 
2 


Not used 


City water installed . . . 
Domestic 


497 








498 














do 


499 






Slate . 






Not used 


Nearly dry 


500 














501 






Slate 

do 


- Ih 


Soft 


Windmill 

Not used 

do... 


Hotel 


502 


15 
110 




— 5 


do 


Hotel abandoned 

Too little water 

Domestic and stock. . . 
Domestic 


503 




Trap 

Slate 


-14 


Hard 


504 


Iron 


Hand pump 

do 


505 


45 




do. . 


-40 


Hard, iron . . . 
Surface water 
Soft 


1 


506 










507 


122 




Granite 

Slate 


-10 


few 


' 


Stock 

Citv water installed . . . 
do 


508 




Abandoned 

do 


509 










8 
few 


510 


224 


90 


Slate 




Iron 


do 


do 


511 


do. 






do. 


Hotel burned 


512 






do 








do... 


Failure 


513 


65 
65 

250 
56 




Granite 






few 
10+ 

10 




514 


Slate 

do 


- 5 

-20 
+ 
+ 


Hard 


Hot-air engine. . . 

W^indmill 

Abandoned . . 


Domestic, stock, and 

boilers. 
Fountains 


515 




516 




Gravel 

do 




517 










518 


50 

89^ 




Granite 






• 




519 


Slate 




Brackish 


5 

40 

few 


Not used 

Pump 


City water installed . . . 


520 


Granite 

do 


+ 
-14 
-18 
+ 2 
-30 


521 


60 

60 

60 

325 




Hard 


Hand pump 

Windmill 


Domestic and stock. . . 
do 1 


522 




Slate 


do 


523 


Granite 




84 
16 


Abandoned 


1 


524 


Salty 


Not used 

do 


Too salty 


525 




Slate 




Not enough for hotel. . . 


526 















59969— IRB 223—09- 



-17 



INDEX. 



A. Page. 

Absorption, relation of, to underground water. 23-25 

Acknowledgments to those aiding 16-17, 239 

Addison, springs in 224 

springs in, water of, analysis of 87 

Addison Mineral Spring 224 

Addison Point, public supply of 227 

weUs at 222 

Albion, weU in, record of 246-247 

Alfred, wells in 234 

wells m, record of 256-257 

Alna, weUs in 175 

Aluminum in water, range of 88-89 

Ames Spring, description of 216-217 

Analyses, character of 75-76 

recomputation of 76 

table of 77-87 

See also particular counties. 

Androscoggin County, description of 92 

public supplies of 103-104 

rocks in 38, 92-93 

springs of 96-103 

water of, analyses of 84 

water, map of 92 

wells in 50, 57, 58, 93-95 

records of 240-241 

tjrpes of 93 

water of, analyses of 77, 82, 83 

quality of 93-94 

Androscoggin River system, drainage of . 19,20,23 

Applelon, well in, record of 246-247 

Arctic Spring, description of 194 

Arostook County, rocks in 32 

wells in 34 

Artesian wells, conditions in 49-50 

conditions in, diagrams showing 49, 50 

Auburn, springs in 99 

springs in, water of, analyses of 84 

wells in 31.94-95 

records of 240-241 

water of, analyses of 82, 83 

Augusta, spring in 156 

spring in, water of, analysis of. 85 

wells in 152 

records of. 246-247 

water of, analysis of 77 

B. 

Baker Puritan Spring, description of 234-235 

Baldwin, well in, record of 240-241 

Bangor, public supply of 196-197 

spring in 194 

wells in 35, 188-190 

records of 250-251 

water of, analyses of 79 



Page. 

Bar Harbor, spring in 146 

spring in, water of, analyses of. 85 

well in, record of 244-245 

Bastin, E. S, aid of 163 

Bath, public supply of 199, 202 

wells at 198, 199 

records of 252-253 

water of, analyses of 81 

Bayley, W. S., on fio^\ing wells 50 

on public supplies 69-70 

well records by 238-257 

work of 16 

Bayville, public supply of 173 

wells in 173 

Belfast, public supply of 212, 217-218 

wells in 212-213 

record of 252-253 

Belmont, wells in 213 

wells in, record of 252-253 

water of, analysis of 80 

Berwick, public supply of 237 

well in 233 

records of 256-257 

water of, analysis of 83 

Bibliography, character of 15 

Bicarbonate radicle, amount of 90 

Biddeford, public supply of 230 

wells of 230 

Birch Island, well on , record of 248-249 

Black Island, well on, record of 244-245 

Bluehill, springs in 146 

springs in, water of, analyses of 85 

wells in 135-136 

records of 244-245 

water of, analyses of S3 

Bluehill Falls, well in, record of 244-245 

Bluehill Mineral Spring, description of 146 

Bolsters Mills, public supplj' at 119. 124 

springs at 119 

water of, analysis of 84 

Boothbay , wells in 173-174 

Boothbay Harbor, public supply of 173 

wells at 173 

Boothbay Medical Spring, desg-iption of 175 

Bowdoinham, wells at 200 

wells at, records of 252-253 

water of, analyses of 80, 83 

B owlder clay, character and distribution of. 28, 39-40 

water in 40 

wells in 40 

water of, analysis of 82 

Bradford, wells in, records of 250-251 

Brewer, springs in 190, 194-196 

springs in, water of, analysis of 87 

259 



260 



INDEX. 



Page, 

Brewer, wells in..,^ 190 

wells in, records of 250-251 

Bridgeton, wells in 118 

wells in, records of 240-241 

water of, analyses of 77 

Bristol, wells in 171, 172 

wells in, records of 248-249 

water of, analj'sis of 77 

Bristol Mills, wells at, records of 248-249 

Brooklin, wells in 136 

wells in, records of 244-245 

Brooks, public supply of 214, 216-217 

wells of 214 

record of 252-253 

TBrooksville, wells in, water of, analyses of .. . 82 

Brunswick, public supply of 118, 121-122 

springs in 119 

water of, analyses of 84 

wells in 118 

record of 240-241 

water of, analyses of 82-83 

Buckfield, public supplj- of 179 

springs at 183 

wells at 179-180 

JBucksport, wells in 134-135, 137 

wells in, record of 244-245 

water of, analysis of 78 

Buxton, wells in 230-231 

wells in, record of 256-257 



Calais, public supply of 220 

spring at 220 

water of, analysis of 87 

wells in 220 

records of 254-255 

water of, analyses of 83 

Calcium in water, range of 89 

Camden, spring at 165-166 

wells at -■ 165 

Cape Cottage, well at 117 

well at, water of, analyses of 78 

Cape Elizabeth, wells in 117 

wells in, records of 240-241 

Cape Jellison, well at, record of . L 254-255 

well at, water of, analysis of 80 

Cape Neddick, wells on, records of 256-257 j 

Carbonate radicle, amount of 90-91 1 

Carmel, wells in 192 

wells in, records of 250-251 

Carrabassett, springs in 129 

springs in, water of, analyses of 85 

Carrabassett Mineral Spring, description of. . 129 
Casing, importance of 54 

kinds of 66 

Castine, public supply of 147-148 

wells in 37, 137 

. records of 244-245 

Cataract Spring, description of 182-183 

Chapman's Spring, description of. 194 

Charleston, wells in 193 

wells in, records of 250-251 

water of, analyses of 79 

Chebeague Island, wells on 115 

Chelsea, springs in, water of, analyses of 85 

wells at 154 



Page. 

Cherry field, public supply of _ 227 

springs at 227 

wells at 223 

Chlorine in water, amount of 91 

distriljution of 27-28 

Christmas Cove, slate at, view of 66 

wells at, records of 248-249 

water of, analyses of 81 

Clapboard Island, well on 117 

well on, record of 240-241 

Clay, character and distriljution of 28,41-42 

water in 42 

wells in, water of, analysis of 82 

Sec also Bowlder claj'. 

Cliflf Spring, description of 103 

Climate, relation of, to underground water. . 21-23 

Clinton, spring in, water of, analysis of 85 

Cold Bowling Spring, description of 235 

Columbia, spring in, water of, analysis of 87 

wells in 223 

Columbia Falls, wells at 222-223 

wells at, records of 254-255 

Combination wells, description of 49 

objections to 54, 66 

Complex, character and distribution of 38 

water in, composition of, diagram showing 38 

quality of 38 

wells in 61 

water of, analyses of . . . : 81 

Connected wells, description of 48-49, 68 

Coopers Mills, well at, record of 248-249 

well at, water of, analyses of 81 

Corinna, wells in 193 

wells in, records of 250-251 

water of, analyses of 79 

Corinth, wells in 193 

wells in, record of 250-251 

Correspondence, information from 15-16 

Cow Island, wells on 114-115 

wells on, record of 240-241 

CranbeiTy Isles, weUs on 142 

Crescent Beach, public supply of 167 

well in, record of 246-247 

Crocker Hills Springs, water of 185 

Crook, J. K., on Maine springs 45 

Crotch Island, well on 139 

well on, record of 244-245 

water of, analysis of 77 

Crystal Mineral Spring, description of 96 

Cumberland County, description of 104 

flowing wells in 109 

public supplies in 121-124, 125 

rocks in 32, 104-107 

sections of 106 

springs in 119-121 

water of, analysis of 84-85 

water map of 104 

wells in 50. 57, 58, 108-119, 124 

recommendations on 124-125 

records of 107, 110, 240-243 

types of 108 

water of, analysis of 77, 78, 82, 83 

quality of 109 

Cushing Island, public supply on 124 

wells on 114 

records of 240-241 

water of, analysis of 83 



INDEX. 



261 



Page. 

Cutts Island, wells on -..- 232-233 

wells on, water of, analyses of 80, 81 

D. 

Dalotvllle, quarries at, weathering in, view of. 30 

Damariscotta, public supply of 170 

wells in 170-171 

records of 248-249 

water of, analysis of 77 

Damariscotta Mills, well at 171 

well at, record of 248-249 

water of, analysis of 77 

Dark Ilarbor, wells at 63 

Deer Isle, wells on 138-140 

Depth, relation of, to head 50-57 

relation of, to purity ^ 57 

to supply 55-56 

Depth, statistics of 57 

Dexter, wells in 193 

wells in, record of 250-251 

Diorite, weathering in, plate showing 30 

Dixinont, wells in 192 

wells in, record of 250-251 

Dole, R. B., work of 16 

Drainage, description of 19-21 

Driven wells. Ses Tubular wells. 

Drumlins, nature of 39 

Dug weUs, use of 54-55 

Durham, spring in, water of, analysis of 84 

E. 

East Auburn, wells in, record of 240-241 

East Boothbay, spring at 175 

spring at, water of, analyses of 86 

wells in 173 

records of 248-249 

water of, analysis of 81 

Easthrook (Hancock County), spring at 146 

spring at, water of, analysis of 87 

Eastbrook (Washington County), spring at, 

water of, analysis of 87 

East Corinth, well at, record of 250-251 

East Livermore, wells at 95 

East Machias, spring at, water of, analyses of. 87 
East Newport, wells in, records of 250-251 

wells in, water of, analyses of 79 

East Northport, wells in, records of 254-255 

wells in, water of, analyses of 81 

East Orland, well in, record of 244-245 

well in, water of, analysis of 83 

East Otisfield, well in, record of 240-241 

East Poland, springs in, water of, analyses of. 84 
Eastport, wells in 37,220-221 

wells in, records of 254-255 

water of, analyses of 81 

East Troy, well in, record of 254-2,55 

East Turner, spring in 103 

spring in, water of, analysis of 84 

Eden, wells in 140-141 

wells in, water of, analyses of 77,82 

Edgecombe, well in 170 

Elevations, description of 19 

Eliot, wells in 233 

Ellis, E. E., on depth of cracks 31 

Ellsworth, wells in 13.5 



Page. 

Ellsworth schist, deposition of 43 

Eskers, nature of 39 

Etna, wells in 192 

wells in, record of 250-251 

Evaporation, relation of, to underground 

water 23 

F. 

Fairfield, springs in 208 

springs in, water of, analyses of 87. 208 

wells in 205 

record of 252-253 

Falmouth, wells in 117 

wells in, records of 240-241 

Falmouth Foreside, spring at 117 

spring at, water of, analysis of 84 

Farmingdale, wells in 152 

wells in, records of 246-247 

Farmington, public supply of 128 

wells in 128 

record of 242-243 

water of, analysis of 78, 82 

Faulting, relation of, to underground water . 24 

Farmington Falls, public supply of 130 

spring at 130 

water of, analysis of 85 

Field work, extent of 16 

Fissures, water in 24 

Five Islands, well in, record of 252-253 

Flowing wells, occiurence of 36, 37, 49, 56, 60, 115 

sources of, diagrams showing 49, 50 

Forest Springs, description of 150-157 

Fortune Rock, rock at, view of 66 

wells at, records of 256-257 

Frankfort, wells at 214 

Franklin County, description of 126 

public supplies of 130-131 

recommendations on 131 

rocks of 127 

springs in 128-130 

water of, analysis of 85 

water map of 126 

wells in 57, 58, 128 

records of 242-243 

water of, analyses of 82 

Freeport, public supply of 119 

wells in 119 

records of 240, 241 

Friendship, pul)lic supplj' of 167 

Fryebiu-g, wells in 180 

Fuller, M. L., aid of 16 

on amount of ground water 25 

G. 

Galvanized-iron casing, effects of 66, 171-172, 184 

Gardiner, wells in 152-153 

wells in, records of 246-247 

water of, analyses of 78, 83 

Garland, wells in 193 

Geologic history, outline of 42-43 

Georgetown, wells in 199 

wells in, record of 2.52-253 

Gerrish Island, well on Zi'i 

well on, record of 2.5()-257 

Ginn Springs, description of 216-217 



262 



INDEX. 



Page. 

Glacial deposits, description of 38-42 

Glaciation, occurrence of 43 

Glenbum, wells at 192 

Glenrock Mineral Spring, description of 96 

Glenwood Spring, description of 207 

water of, analysis of 207 

Gneiss, character and distribution of 28, 29-30 

joint cracks in 29-30 

water in 28, 31-32 

quality of 31-32, 38 

wells in 61 

See also Granite. 

Goodale, G. L., on Maine springs 45 

Gorham, wells at 115 

well, records of 240-241 

water of, analysis of 78 

Granite, character and distribution of. . 28, 29-30, 38 

joint cracks in 29-30 

plate showing 30 

structure of 30 

water in 28, 31-32, 38, 56 

composition of, diagram showing 32 

depth limit of 31, 56 

quality of 32. 38 

weathering in, plate showing 30 

wells in 61 

water of, analyses of 77 

Granite quarries, views in 30, 32 

Gravel, character and distribution of 28. 40-41 

water in 41 

wells in " 41 

water of, analysis of 82-83 

Great Chebeague Island, well on, record of. 242-243 
Great Cranberry Island, wells on, records of. 244-245 
Great Diamond Island, public supply on.. 123-124 

wells on 112-113 

records of 242-243 

water of, analysis of 78 

Greene, spring in 96 

spring in, water of, analysis of 84 

Greenings Island, wells on 67,141-142 

wells on, records of 244-245 

water of, analysis of 77 

Greens Pond, spring at 145-146 

Greenstone, wells in 61 

See also Trap. 
Greenville, wells at 35, 50-51 

H. 

Hallo well, public supply of 158 

wells in 152 

record of 246-247 

Hampden, weUs in 191 

wells in , records of 2.52-253 

water of, analyses of 79 

Hampden Comers, w^ells in, records of 252-253 

weUs in, water of, analysis of 79 

Hancock, wells in 135, 142-143 

wells in, records of 244-245 

water of, analyses of 78, 83 

Hancock County, description of 131-132 

flowing wells in 135 

public supplies of 147-149 

recommendations on 149-150 

rocks of 36-37, 132-133 

springs in 145-146 

water of, analysis of 85 



Page. 

Hancock County, water map of 132 

wells in 50,57,58, 133-145 

records of 244-247 

types of 133-134 

water of, analysis of 77, 78, 82, 83 

quality of 134-135 

Hardness, causes of 91 

Harpswell, well at 118-119 

See also Mere Point. 

Harrington, public supply of 225-226 

springs at 225 

wells at 223 

Harrison, spring in, water of, analysis of 85 

wells in 118 

records of 242-243 

Hartford, springs in, water of, analj^ses of 86 

Hartiand, wells in 206 

Head, relation of, to depth of well 56-57 

Hermon, wells in 191 

Heron Island, well on 172 

view of 52 

water of, analysis of 81 

High Island, well on, record of 246-247 

Highland Mineral Spring, description of 96-98 

water of, analysis of 97-98 

Highland Spring, description of 194 

Historical geology, outline of 42^3 

Hodgdons Island, well on, record of 248-249 

Holden Center, spring in 194 

House Island, well on 114 

well on, record of 242-243 

Hudson, wells in 193 

weUs in, records of 252-253 



Indian Hermit Mineral Spring, description 

of 234 

Inner Heron Island, wells on. records of. . . 248-249 

Investigation, need of 15 

Iron in water, range of 88-89 

Ishka Spring, description of 146 

Isle au Haut, well on, record of 244-245 

Isleboro, joints at 34 

wells at 35, 63, 67, 215-216 

records of 254-255 

water of, analyses of 80 

quality of 36 

Isochlors, distribution of 27-28 



Jackson, wells in 214 

wells in, records of 254-255 

water of, analysis of 80 

Jefferson, spring at, water of, analysis of 86 

wells in 175 

records of 248-249 

Jet process, description of 48 

Johnson, B. L., work of 16, 75, 239 

Joints, character of 29-31, 33 

character of, figures showing 30, 50 

effect of, on drilling 65-66 

water in 29-30, 31, 55-56 

zone of, v iew of 30 

Jonesboro, quarry at, section of, plate show- 
ing 32 

wells in 222 

water of, analysis of 82 



INDEX. 



263 



Page. 

Jonesport, wells in 222 

wells in, record of 256-257 

water of, analysis of 81 

Jones's spring, description of 183 

K. 

Karnes, nature of 39 

Katagudos Spring, description of 146 

Katahdin, Mount, altitude of 19 

Kenduskeag, wells in 193 

wells in, record of 252-253 

Kennebec Count}*, description of 150-151 

public supplies of 157-158 

recommendations on 158 

rocks in 32-33, 151 

springs in, water of, analysis of. . 85-86, 156-157 

water map of 150 

wells in 57, 58, 152-156 

records of 246-247 

tj'pes of 151-152 

water of, analysis of 77, 78-79, 82-83 

quality of 152 

Kennebec River system, drainage of 19, 20 

run-off of 23 

Kennebunk, public supply of 231 

spring in, water of, analysis of 87 

wells in 231 

records of 256-257 

Kennebunk Beach, spring at 235-236 

well at, record of 256-257 

water of, analysis of 87 

Kennebunk Beach Mineral Spring, descrip- 
tion of 235-236 

Kennebunkport, public supply of 231 

wells in 231 

records of 256-257 

Keystone Mineral Spring, description of 98-99 

water of, analysis of 99 

Kidders Point, well at, record of 2.54-255 

well at, water of, analysis of 80 

Kingfield, public supply of 131 

Kittery, wells in 232 

wells in, records of 256-257 

Kittery Junction, slates at, views of 34, 36 

Kittery Point, wells at 232 

wells at, records of 256-257 

water of, analysis of 80 

Knowiton soda spring, description of 130 

Knox County, description of 159 

public supplies of 166-167 

recommendation 167 

rocks in 35,36-37,38,159-160 

springs in 165-166 

water of, analyses of 86 

water map of 160 

wells in 50, 57, 58, 160-165 

records of 246-249 

types of 160 

water of, analysis of . .- 79, 81 

quality of 160 

L. 

Lake Auburn, spring at 103 

Lake Auburn Mineral Spring, description of. . 103 

Lakes, public supplies from, list of 73-75 

Lamoine, public supply of 149 



Page. 

I^ebanon, well in 234 

well in, record of 256-257 

Levant, wells in 192 

Lewiston, public supply in 95 

springs in 96-98, 103 

water of, analyses of 84, 97-98 

wells in 94-95 

records of 240-241 

Limerick, well in, record of 256-257 

I^imestone, cavities in 36, 161 

cavities in, view of 36 

character and distribution of 28, 35-36 

water in 28> 36, 161 

quality of 36 

Limington, springs in, water of, analysis of. . 87 

Lincoln County, description of 167-168 

public supplies of 176 

recommendations on 176 

rocks in 38, 168-169 

springs in 175 

water of, analysis of 86 

water map of 168 

wells in 57, 58, 81, 169-175 

records of 248-251 

water of, analyses of 77 

quality of 38, 169 

Linekin Neck, wells on, records of 248-249 

Lisbon, wells in 95 

wells in, water of, analysis of 77 

Lisbon Center, public supply of 103-104 

Lisbon Falls, public supply of 104 

well in, records of 240-241 

Litchfield, springs in 156-157 

springs in, water of, analyses of 86 

well in, record of 246-247 

Lithium in water, range of 91 

Little Chebeague Island, well on 116 

well on, record of 242-243 

Little Cranberry Island, well on, records of. 244-245 

Little Diamond Island, wells on 113 

wells on, record of 242-243 

Livermore Falls, wells in, records of 240-241 

Long Island, wells on 114, 140 

Lubec, public supply of 224-225 

springs in 224-225 

water of, analyses of 87 

wells in 37,221 

records of 256-257 

water of, analysis of 82 

M. 
Machias, wells in 222 

wells in, water of, analysis of 83 

Machiasport, wells at 222 

McMahans Island, well on, record of 252-253 

Magnesia Spring, descnption of 183 

Magnesium in water, range of 89 

Map, showing area described 14 

Maps, water. See particular counties. 

Marshfield, wells at 222 

Matson. G. C, work of 16, 75, 239 

Mechanic Falls, wells in 05 

well in, record of : 240-241 

water of, analysis of 82 

Mere Point, well in 119 

well in, record of 242-243 

water of, analysis of 78 



264 



INDEX. 



Page. 
Millbridge, public supply of 226-227 

spring at 226 

water of, analysis of 87 

Millbridge. well in 223 

well in, water of, analysis of 83 

Milton Plantation, spring in 182 

spring in, water of, analysis of 86 

Mineralization of water, method of 27 

Monhegan Island, wells on 1 75 

Monroe, wells in 214 

wells in. record of 254-255 

water of, analyses of 80 

Moose Island, wells on 139 

Moraines, nature of 39 

Mount Desert, spring at. water of, analysis of. 85 

Mount Desert Ferry, well at. records of 244-245 

Mount Desert Island, rocks of 36 

wells on 140-141. 142 

Mount Desert Spring, description of 146 

Mount Hartford Mineral Spring, description 

of 180 

water of, analysis of 181 

Mount Mica ilineral Spring, description of . . 183 
Mount Oxford Mineral Spring, description of. 182 
Mount Zircon Mineral Spring, description of. . 182 

N. 

Naples, well in, record of 242-243 

Xeddick, Cape, wells on 60 

Newburg, wells at 191 

Newcastle, public supply of 170 

wells in 170-171 

records of 248-249 

New Gloucester, spring in, water of, analysis 

of 85 

well in, record of 242-243 

New Harbor, wells in 66, 171-172 

' wells in, records of 248-249 

Newport, wells in 192 

wells in, records of 252-253 

Nobleboro, spring in 175 

spring in, water of, analysis of • 86 

Norridgewock, wells in 205 

wells in, records of 252-253 

water of, analysis of SO 

North Auburn, spring in, water of, analysis 

of 84 

North Berwick, well in 233 

weU in, record of 256-257 

North Boothbay, well in, record of 248-249 

North Dixmont, wells in, records of 252-253 

wells in, water of, analysis of 79 

Northeast Harbor, wells in, records of 244-245 

North Edgecomb, well in, record of 248-249 

North Fryeburg, well in, record of 250-251 

North Haven, wells in 37, 59, 164 

records of 246-247 

water of, analysis of 81 

North Jay, well in, record of 242-243 

North Kennebunkport, well in, water of, 

analysis of 82 

North Lubec, well in, record of 256-257 

North Norway, wells in, records of 250-251 

North Penobscot, well near 1.35 

Northport, wells at 213 

Northport Camp Ground, public supply of. . 217 



Page. 
North RajTnond, spring in, water of, analy- 
sis of 85 

North Sullivan, quarry at, view in 32 

wells in 144 

well in, records of 244-245 

view of 34 

water of, analysis of 77 

North Whitefield, wells in 175 

wells in, records of 248-249 

Norway, wells in 180 

O. 

Oak Grove Spring, description of 194-196 

water of, analysis of 195 

Oakland, public supply of 155 

Ocean Bluff, well at, records of 256-257 

Ocean Point, wells at 173 

wells at, records of 248-249 

water of, analyses of 81 

Ogimquit, spring in 236 

spring in, water of, analysis of 87 

wells in, records of 256-257 

water of, analysis of 80 

Old Orchard, springs in 234-236 

springs in, water of, analysis of 87 

wells in 230 

Oldto'n-n, wells at 191 

Olde Yorke Spring, description of 236 

Open wells, advantages of 53-54 

description of 48 

Organic matter in waters, range of 88 

Orland, wells in 135, 137-138 

wells in, records of. 244-245 

water of, anal3-ses of 78, 82 

Orono, wells in 191 

wells in, records of 252, 253 

water of, analysis of 82 

Orrington, springs in 194, 196 

springs in, water of, analysis of 87 

wells in 191 

water of, analysis of 79 

Otisfield, wells in 118 

weUs in, record of 242-243 

Otter Creek, well at, record of 244-245 

Oxford Co., description of 176-177 

public supplies of 183-185 

rocks in 38, 177-178 

springs in 180-183 

water of, analyses of 86-87, 181 

water map of 176 

wells in 57, 58, 178-180 

rexiords of — 250-251 

types of 178 

water of. analyses of 53 

quality of 178 

P. 

Palmyra, wells in 60, 205-206 

wells in, records of 252-2.53 

Paradise Spring, description of 119-120 

Paris, springs in, water of, analyses of 86 

Paris Hill, public supply of 185 

wells at 179 

Peaks Island, public supply on 123, 125 

wells on 112, 125 

records of 242-243 

water of, analysis of 78 



IKDEX. 



265 



Page. 

Peale, A. C, spring classification of 44, 46 

Pejepscot Mills, spring at 200 

wells at 198 

records of 252-253 

Pejepscot Spring, description of 99 

Pertiaquid, well in i' i 

Pemaquid Beach, well at, record of 248-249 

well at, water of, analysis of 77 

Pemaquid Harbor, well at, water of, analysis 

of 77 

Pemaquid Point, wells at 171 

wells at, records of 248-249 

water of, analyses of 81 

Pembroke, wells in 221 

wells in, records of 256-257 

Penobscot, wells in 145 

Penobscot County, description of 186 

public supplies of 196 

recommendations on 196-197 

rocks in 32-33,66,186-187 

springsin 194-196 

water of, analysis of 87, 195 

water map of 186 

wells in 57,58,59,188-194 

records of 250-253 

types of 187-188 

water of, analyses of 79, 82 

quality of 35, 37, 50, 188 

Penobscot River system, drainage of 19, 20-21 

Perry, wells in 221 

wells in, water of, analysis of 83 

Perry basin, rocks in 37-38 

Perry formation, character and distribution 

of 28, 37-38 

water in 28, 38 

Phippsburg, wells at 199 

Pine Grove Spring, description of 208 

Pine Spring, description of 200-201 

water of, analysis of 201 

Pittsfield, wells in 205 

wells in, records of 252-253 

water of, analyses of 80 

Pittston, wells in 155 

wells in, records of 246-247 

Plymouth, wells in 192 

wells in, records of 252-253 

Pockets, water in 61 

Poland, spring in 98-99 

spring in, water of, analysis of 99 

wells in 95 

record of 240-241 

Poland Spring, description of 99-103 

water of, analysis of 101-102 

Pollution, existence of 17 

Pollution, sources of 17-18,27,52-54 

Ponds. See Lakes. 

Popham Beach, wells at, records of 252-253 

Population, density of 17-18 

Pores, water in 24-25 

Portland, public supply of 109 

sections at 106, 107 

wells in 63,67,105-106,109-115 

records of 110, 242-243 

water of, analyses of 78, 82, 83 

Potassium in water, range of 90 

Pownal Spring, description of 120 



Page. 

Presiimpscot River system, drainage of 19, 20 

Prospect, spring in 214,216 

spring in, water of, analysis of 87 

wells at 214 

Public supplies, classification of 71-75 

ownership of 69-70 

sources of ' 69-71 

See also particular counties, places, etc. 

Pumping, methods of 49 

Pure Water Spring, description of 157 

R. 
Rainfall, records of 21-23 

relation of, to underground water 23 

Rangeley, public supply of 130-131 

springs in 129-130 

water of, analysis of 85 

Rangeley Mineral Spring, description of. . . 130-131 

Raymond Spring, description of 120 

Results, summary of 17 

Richmond, wells in 200 

wells in, records of 252-253 

Ridlonville, public supply of 185 

Robinson, A. C, work of 16 

Robinson, F. C, work of 16, 75 

Rockland, limestone at, view of 36 

public supply of 161-162 

springs in 56 

water of, analysis of 86 

wells in 160-162 

record of 246-247 

Rockland Breakwater, well at, record of. . . 246-247 
Rocks, water-bearing, descriptions of 28-38 

distribution of, map showing 28 

types of 28 

See also particular counties, sorts of rock, 
etc. 
Rockport, wells in 163 

wells in, water of, analysis of 79 

Rocky Hill Spring, description of 208 

water of, analysis of 208 

Roque Island, well on, record of 256-257 

Rumford Falls, public supply of 183-185 

spring at 182-183 

water of, analysis of 86 

wells 178-179, 183 

wells at, records of 250-251 

water of, analyses of 83 

Rim-off, relation of, to underground water... 23 

S. 

Saccarappa, wells at 115 

Saco, public supply of 230 

spring at 236 

water of, analysis of 85 

wells at 230 

records of 256-257 

Saco River system, drainage of 19-20 

Sagahadoc Co., description of 197 

public supplies of 202 

rocks of 197-198 

springs in 200-201 

water of, analyses of 87, 201 

water map of 198 

wells in 50,58, 198-200 

records of 252-253 

water of, analyses of SO, 81 



266 



INDEX. 



Page. 

St. Albans, springs in 207 

springs in, water of, analyses of 87 

wells in 206 

records of 252-253 

St. Croix River system, drainage of 19,21 

St. George, wells at 162-163 

Sainoset Mineral Spring, description of 175 

Sand, absorption by 25 

character and distribution of 28,40-41 

water in 41,56 

wells in 41 

water of, analysis of 82-83 

Sanford, public supply of 237 

wells in 234 

Sanitary analyses, value of 76 

Scarboro (Cumberland Co.), spring in 116 

spring in, water of, analysis of 85 

wells in 67, 116 

records of 242-243 

water of, analyses 78, 82, 83 

Scarboro (York Co. ), spring in, water of, analy- 
sis of 87 

Schist, character and distribution of. . . 28, 32-33, 38 

water m 33-35, 38 

quality of 35, 38 

wells in 61 

Scope of report 13-14 

Seal Rock Spring, description of 236 

Searsmont, public supply of 217 

wells in 213 

water of, analysis of 83 

Searsport, wells in 62, 213-21 4 

wells in, records of 254r-255 

water of, analyses of 80 

Sea water, difficulties with 34, 61, 67 

Sebago Lake, public supply from 109, 121, 125 

well at, record of 242-243 

Sedgwick, wells at 136 

Sedimentary rocks, character and distribu- 
tion of 37-38 

water in 38 

Sheet joints, water from 31 

Sidney, wells in, records of 246-247 

wells in, water of, analysis of 79 

Silica in water, range of 88 

Skinner, W. W., work of 75, 

98,100,195,201,207,208 

Skowhegan, public supply of 204, 209-210 

spring in 209 

water of, analysis of 87 

wells in 204-205 

records of 252-253 

Slate, character and distribution of 28,32-33, 38 

drilling in 65 

flowing wells in 35 

outcrops of, views of 34, 36 

water in 33-35, 38 

composition of, diagraift showing 36 

depth of 34, 56 

quahty of 35,38 

wells in 35,61 

water of, analyses of 78-81 

Small Point, well at, record of 252-253 

Smith, G. O., aid of 16 

Sodium in water, range of 90 

Soil, absorption of 18 



Page. 

Solids, in Maine waters, amounts of 88 

Solution cavities, origin of 24 

Somerset Co., description of 202 

public supplies of 209-210 

recommendations on 210 

rocks of 202-203 

springs in 206-208 

water of, analyses of 87, 207, 208 

water map of 202 

wells in 50,57,58,203-206 

records of 252-253 

types of 203-204 

water of, analysis of 80 

quality of 204 

Sorrento, public supply of 144-145 

wells in 34, 67, 135, 144-145 

records of 244-245 

water of, analysis of 82 

South Auburn, spring in, water of, analysis 

of 84 

South Brewer, springs in 190 

South Bristol, wells in 172 

wells in, record of 248-249 

South Freeport, spring in, water of, analysis 

of. 85 

wells in 119 

records of 242-243 

water of, analysis of 77 

South Newcastle, well in 170 

well in, record of 248-249 

South Paris, wells in, records of 250-251 

South Poland, springs in 99-103 

springs in, water of, analyses of 84, 101-102 

well in, water of, analysis of 277 

Southport, wells in 174 

South Portland, wells in 117 

South Strong, spring in, water of, analysis of. . 85 

South Thomaston, wells in 162 

Southwest Harbor, public supply of 148-149 

wells in 141 

records of 244-245 

South Windham, well in, record of . '. 242-243 

Sparkling Spring, description of 1 96 

Springs, importance of 44-45 

list of 45-46 

origin of 24, 44, 47 

public supplies from, list of 72-73 

types of 44 

water of, analyses of 84-87 

curative powers of 47 

quality of 17, 47 

See also particular counties, places, 
springs, etc. 

Springdale, spring in 236 

spring in, water of, analysis of 87 

Squirrel Island, well on, record of 248-249 

Standish, wells in 62, 117-118 

wells in, records of 242-243 

water of, analysis of 78 

Steep Falls, springs at 235 

Stetson, wells in 192 

wells in, records of 252-253 

water of, analysis of 79 

Stockton Springs, well in 214 

well in, record of 254-255 

water of, analysis of 80 



INDEX. 



267 



Page. 
Stonington, public supply of 149 

rocks at 29, 30 

springs at 132-133 

water of, analysis of 85 

wells in 29, 63, 138-140 

records of 244-245 

water of, analyses of 77 

Streams, public supplies from, list of 73-75 

Strong, public supply of 130 

spring at 129 

Sullivan, wells in 143-144 

wells in, records of 244-245 

Sulphate radicle, amount of 91 

Summit Spring, description of 121 

Sumner, spring in 182 

spring in, water of, analysis of 86 

Surface deposits, description of 38-42 

Surface water, public supplies from, list of.. . 73-75 

Surry, wells at 145 

Suttons Island, wells on 37, 142 

wells on, records of 244-247 

Swans Island, water on 140 

Sweden, wells in 180 

wells in, record of 250-251 

Switzer Spring, description of 216 

T. 

Temperature, records of 21-23 

Temperature of ground water 26-27 

Tenants Harbor, wells at, records of 246-247 

Terry, spring in, water of, analysis of 87 

Thomaston, wells in 162 

wells in, record of 248-249 

Thorndike, spring near 216 

wells in 214 

Thorndike Mineral Spring, description of 216 

Ticonic Mineral Spring, description of 157 

Till, character and distribution of 28, 39 

water in 40 

wells in 40 

water of, analysis of 82 

Togas, spring in, water of, analysis of 86 

Topography, description of 19 

Topsham, public supply at 121-122, 199, 202 

springs at 200-201 

water of, analyses of 87 

wells at 199-200 

Trap, character and distribution of 28 

water from, composition of, diagram 

showing 38 

wells in 61 

Tremont, spring in 141 

spring in, water of, analysis of 85 

wells in 141-142 

Trenton, well in, record of 246-247 

Troy, wells in 215 

wells in, water of, analysis of 80 

Tubular wells, advantages of 54 

description of • 48 

Tunnels, water from 48 

U. 

Underground water, amount of 24-25 

analyses of 77-87 

composition of 75-92 

disposition of 25-26 

movement of 52 



Page. 
Underground water, occurrence of, modes of. 24 

quality of 27-28,75-92 

recovery of 43-63 

relation of, to climate 21-23 

sources of 23-24 

temperature of 26-27 

uses of 63-64 

Underwood Mineral Spring, description of. 120-121 
Union, public supply of 167 

V. 

Vassalboro, well in, record of 246-247 

well in, water of, analysis of 82 

Veazie, wells in 190 

Vienna, springs in 158 

springs in, water of, analysis of 86 

Vinalhaven, wells in 164-165 

wells in, records of 248-249 

water of, analysis of 77,81 

Volatile matter in water, range of 88 

Volcanic rocks, character and distribution 

of 28, 36-37 

water in 37 

quality of 37 

Waldoboro, wells in 174 

records of 248-251 

water of, analysis of 77 

Waldo Co., description of 210 

flowing wells in 212 

public supplies of 216-217 

recommendations on 217-218 

rocks in 35,38, 210-211 

springs in 216 

water of, analysis of 87 

water map of 210 

weDs in 50, 57, 58-59, 212-216 

records of 252-255 

types of 211-212 

water of, analj'ses of 80,81,83 

quality of 35, 212 

Walpole, well in, record of 250-251 

Warren, public supply of 166 

well in 163 

record of 248-249 

water of, analysis of 81 

Washington, well in, record of 248-249 

Washington Co., description of 218-219 

public supply of 224-227 

recommendations on 227 

rocks in 36-38, 219 

springs in : 223-224 

water of, analysis of 87 

water map of 218 

wells in 50, 57, 58, 219-223 

records of 254-257 

water of, analyses of 81,82,83 

Washington Junction, well at, record of. . . 246-247 

Water, abundance of 17 

depth of 31,34,55-59 

See also Water table, 

dissemination of 18 

maps showing. See particular counties. 

public supplies of 69-75 

quality of 17, 88-92 

relation of, to depth 57 

See also particular counties. 
See also Wells; Underground water. 



268 



INDEX. 



J/ 



Page. 
Water-bearing rocks. Sec Rocks, water-bear- 
ing. 

Water districts, format ion of 09-70 

Water supply, sources of IS 

AVater table, position of 18, 2."), 51 

position of, fifiure showing 25 

Waterville, public supply of 153-154 

springs in 157 

wells in 154-155 

Wawa Lithia Spring, description of 236 

Wells, capacity of 62-63 

casing of 54, 66 

depth of 55-59 

diameter of 59 

distribution of 50 

drilling of, cost of 64-65 

dates of 68-69 

speed of 65-66 

geologic conditions in 49-50 

diagrams showing 49, 50 

intereffect of 63 

locating of 51-53 

pollution of 52-53 

public supplies from, list of 71-72 

records of. .• 238-257 

salt water in 34, 61, 67, 135 

shooting of 68 

types of 48-49 

choice of 53-55 

uncertainty of 59-62 

use of 17 

views of 52 

water of, analyses of 77-83 

■ yield of 62 

increase and decrease of 62-63 

See also particular counties, places, etc. 

Wells, public supply of 231 

springs in 235 

wells in '. 231 

records of 256-257 

Wells Beach, public supply of 231 

Westbrook, section at 106 

wells in 35, 145 

^ Cord of 242-243 

water of, analyses of 78 

West Hancock, springs in 146 

springs in, water of, analysis of 85 

West Newfield, public supply of 237 

West Rockport, well in, record of 248-249 



Page. 

West Sullivan, wells in 144 

wells in, records of 246-247 

Whitefield, wells in 174-175 

White Sand Spring, description of 236 

Whitney ville, wells in 222 

Widows Island, wells on 62 

wells on, record of 248-249 

Windham, well in 116 

well in, water of, analysis of 83 

Windsor Mineral Spring, description of 103 

Winslow, springs in, water of, analyses of 86 

wells in 154 

wells in, records of 24(>-247 

water of, analyses of 79 

Winterport, wells in 214 

wells in, records of 254-255 

water of, analyses of 80 

Winthrop, public supply of 156, 157-158 

wells in 155-1.56 

records of 246-247 

water of, analyses of 79 

Winthrop Center, well in, record of 246-247 

well in, water of, analysis of 79 

Wiscasset, well in, view of .52 

wells in 169-170 

records of 250-251 

water of, analyses of 81 

Woolwich, wells in 199 

wells in, records of 252-253 

water of, analysis of 81 

Y. 

Yarmouth, public supply of 124 

Yarmouth ville, public supply of 124 

York, wells in 35, 232 

wells in, records of 256-257 

water of, anal5'sis of 83 

York Beach, wells at, records of 256-257 

York Co., description of 228-22& 

public supplies of 236-237 

rocks in : 32,228-229 

springs in 234-236 

water of, analysis of 87 

water map of 228 

wells in 50,57,58,229-234 

records of 256-257 

types of 229 

water of, analyses of 80, 81, 82, 83 

quality of 230 

York Harbor, wells at, records of 256-257 



o 



LhMr'IO 



